The Option Genius Podcast: Options Trading For Income and Growth

In the world of options trading, these two terms are often thrown around interchangeably, leading to massive confusion for individual investors. In this episode, we cut through the wordplay to define exactly what these maneuvers mean for your portfolio. We explore how an adjustment acts as a broad category for any tweak to a current trade—whether you're adding contracts, bolting on new spreads, or changing the overall structure. You'll also learn why a roll is a specific subset of adjustments used to move a trade vertically in price or out in time. Using real-world examples like a MasterCard call spread, we debate whether you should "continue a fight you're already losing" or simply stick to your original trading plan. Tools & Concepts Discussed: Vertical rolls, time rolls, credit vs. debit rolls, and index vs. individual stock volatility. Are you clear on your "line in the sand" before you click the trade button? When a trade moves against you, do you prefer to adjust the structure to lower your risk, or do you prefer to roll it out and wait for more time? Subscribe to the Options Trading Podcast for more step-by-step guidance! Key Takeaways Adjustments are the Broad Category: An adjustment is any change made to a trade's structure, such as adding contracts or turning a spread into a condor to change the delta or theta. Rolling is a Specific Subset: A roll involves closing a current position and opening a new one with a later expiration (roll out) or a different strike price (roll up/down). Vertical vs. Time Rolls: Traders can perform vertical rolls to move strikes further from the money or time rolls to give the trade more room for theta to kick in. Credit vs. Debit Strategy: It is generally recommended to roll for a credit rather than paying a debit. Paying a debit for a roll means taking money out of your pocket for a gain you haven't yet realized, which can be wasted if the stock continues to move against you. Asset Type Dictates Strategy: Indexes are often better candidates for adjustments because they move slower and more predictably, while individual stocks (like MasterCard) can have "5-standard deviation moves" that make adjustments futile. "An adjustment really is continuing the same trade; rolling it from one month to the next is often just continuing a fight that you're already losing." Timestamped Summary 1:26 – Definitions: Why "adjustment" is the big category and "roll" is the subset. 5:04 – The Mechanics: Vertical rolls (price) vs. time rolls (expiration). 8:36 – The MasterCard Case Study: When to get out vs. when to move the trade. 11:40 – The Debit Trap: Why you should avoid paying to roll a losing position. 14:40 – Index vs. Stocks: Why standard deviation moves change your adjustment logic. Confused about your next move? Share this episode with a fellow trader! Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and tell us: do you prefer rolling for time or adjusting for price?

Choosing your very first options trade can be a paralyzing decision, but it doesn't have to be. In this episode, we break down the three fundamental strategies every beginner should consider: covered calls, naked puts, and credit spreads. We share personal stories—from landline calls to brokers to the evolution of a "24% a year" blog—to illustrate how these strategies perform in real-world bull and sideways markets. You'll learn why the covered call is often the "gateway" trade that gets nervous investors into the pool, why naked puts are like "hunting for bargains," and why credit spreads are eventually the superior choice for small accounts and diversification. We also provide an honest reality check on the risks, including the "10-year war" of holding stocks during a crash. Tools & Resources Mentioned: The Passive Trading Book, blogger platforms for journaling, and the concept of "Black Friday" stock shopping. Are you ready to move past the "options are too risky" myth? If you could only master one strategy for the rest of your life, would you choose the simplicity of a covered call or the flexibility of a credit spread? Subscribe now for more simple, step-by-step guidance! Key Takeaways The "Big Three" for Beginners: New traders really only need to master three strategies: covered calls, naked puts, and credit spreads. Each offers a different entry point depending on your capital and risk tolerance. Covered Calls as a "Gateway": This is often the best "first trade" because it is easy to conceptualize. If you already own stock, selling a call allows you to generate income (often 2% a month) while you wait for the stock to be called away or the option to expire. Naked Puts as Bargain Hunting: Selling a naked put is essentially getting paid to wait for a stock you want to buy at a lower price. It is more capital-efficient than a covered call but requires "hunting for bargains" on quality companies you actually want to own. The Evolution to Credit Spreads: While harder to conceptualize initially, credit spreads are often the "end game" because they free up capital, allow for diversification (bullish and bearish trades simultaneously), and provide more ways to adjust the trade if the market turns. The Importance of Stock Selection: High premiums are often a trap; they usually signal high volatility and a higher likelihood of the stock "burying" you. Success depends on picking stocks you wouldn't mind holding for the long term if the trade turns into a "war". "The slow and steady trader, the one managing risk, will beat the gunslinger in the long run." Timestamped Summary 0:40 – The Coaching Call Question: What is the easiest strategy to learn first? 3:15 – The "Taxi Driver" Story: How 25% monthly returns in old books set the hook for covered calls. 7:12 – Why Brokers Push Covered Calls: The psychological safety of "getting in the pool". 11:57 – The Volatility Trap: Why chasing high premiums on naked puts can lead to assignment. 13:12 – The Credit Spread Shift: Why small accounts eventually move to spreads for diversification. 19:15 – The "Long War": A warning about the .com crash and the danger of not cutting losses. Ready to stop guessing? Share this episode with a friend who's been too scared to trade options! Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and tell us: what was the very first options trade you ever made?

The market playbook of 2025 is radically different from what we need in 2026. With slowing GDP growth (projected 1-2% next year), flat inflation/prices, and massive uncertainty surrounding Fed independence, AI margins, and geopolitical dynamics (BRICS, Ukraine), a conservative buy-and-hold strategy is unlikely to generate alpha. This episode lays out a concrete, three-part options trading playbook designed to outperform the S&P 500 next year, focusing on commodities and consistent income generation: First Down: Stay in Gold. With the dollar likely weakening (especially given potential Fed leadership changes and BRICS de-dollarization efforts), gold and commodities remain a strong buy-and-hold foundation. Second Down: Sell Oil Options. The futures market is pricing in stable oil prices for the next few months, creating a great environment for income traders to consistently sell options and generate high monthly returns (3-10% per month). Third Down: Focus on Option Selling (Income). Given expected lower momentum in the Magnificent Seven and other sectors, consistent option selling (like using threshold stocks or naked puts/covered calls) is positioned to outperform buying and holding index funds. The overall market outlook is sideways, making the disciplined, focused options trader the winner. Tools & Indicators Discussed: Fed Rate Policy, GDP Growth, Gold/Commodities, Oil Futures, BRICS, Threshold Stocks. Are you prepared to switch your strategy to match the new economic reality? If you had to pick only one commodity to hold for the next three years, would it be gold or silver? Join the conversation and subscribe for more strategic market analysis! Key Takeaways (3–5 points) 2026 Market Outlook is Sideways: Driven by slowing GDP growth (1-2% projected), flat inflation, and increased corporate cutbacks, the market is likely to move sideways with higher uncertainty, making consistent double-digit index returns unlikely. Play #1: Stay in Gold/Commodities (Dollar Weakness): A continued weakening of the dollar is anticipated due to geopolitical shifts (BRICS nations moving away from the dollar) and domestic factors (potential for rate cuts under new Fed leadership). Gold is the number one play to beat the market next year. Play #2: Sell Oil Options (Income Focus): The oil futures market is currently stable (not pricing in higher prices several months out), creating a fantastic environment for income traders to consistently sell options on oil(e.g., selling futures options) to generate 3-10% monthly returns. Play #3: Shift from Momentum to Selling Income: The massive momentum seen in the Magnificent Seven (Mag 7) and AI sectors is expected to slow down significantly due to increased competition (reducing Nvidia's margins) and money exiting the space. This shift makes consistent option selling (e.g., using threshold stocks or selling options on indices) a superior strategy to buying momentum. Crypto's Role: Crypto (Bitcoin) may be targeted by Wall Street, but if prices experience a major flush-out (e.g., Bitcoin drops to $50k-$60k), it could become an attractive, long-term buy-the-dip opportunity for the risk-tolerant. "The playbook of 2025 is radically different from what we're going to have in 2026." Timestamped Summary 0:37 - The Core Question: Why the 2025 playbook must change for the 2026 market environment. 1:57 - Economic Backdrop: Slowing GDP growth (1-2% projected) and flat consumer prices. 4:18 - Overall Forecast: The market is expected to move mostly sideways due to various uncertainties. 6:58 - Play #1: Stay in Gold: Dollar weakness due to geopolitics (BRICS) and potential Fed cuts makes gold the preferred foundation. 11:56 - AI Momentum Slowdown: Increased competition (Google, Microsoft making chips) will compress margins for leaders like Nvidia, leading to lower stock appreciation. 20:23 - Play #2: Sell Oil Options: Stable oil futures prices create a great environment for income generation (3-10% monthly returns) by selling options. 22:50 - Play #3: Income Focus: Selling options on threshold stocks and indices is safer and more likely to outperform buy-and-hold in a low-momentum, sideways market. Stop chasing momentum! Share this 2026 playbook with a fellow investor who needs a defensive strategy. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and tell us which play—Gold or Oil—you think will be the bigger winner next year!

We all know the Oracle of Omaha is a legendary investor, but does his wisdom apply to short-term options trading? In this episode, we break down Warren Buffett's most famous quotes and analyze them through the lens of an options trader. We discuss why looking for "one-foot bars" over "seven-foot bars" is the secret to high-probability trading, and why sticking to your "circle of competence" can save your portfolio. We also debate where we disagree with Buffett—specifically regarding holding periods and diversification—and how to adapt his principles to generate cash flow today. Whether you are a value investor or selling puts for income, this conversation reveals how to simplify your strategy and get your money working for you. In this episode, we cover: Why you should look for "one-foot bars" (the KISS principle). The importance of trading what you know. Why "holding forever" might not work in the age of AI. The harsh reality of making money while you sleep. Resources Mentioned: Get your free copy of the Passive Trading book: passivetrading.com/freebook Do you agree with Buffett's rule on never losing money? Subscribe and let us know your thoughts! Key Takeaways Look for the "One-Foot Bars": Don't overcomplicate trading with complex Greeks or obscure data. Look for the "layups"—trades with high probability and less stress (like the 90% probability put). Stick to Your Circle of Competence: Your watchlist should reflect what you know. If you work in oil, trade oil. If you eat fast food, trade those companies. You have an edge in industries you interact with daily. Adapt to Reality: The market will not adapt to your risk tolerance. You must be willing to change your strategy (or sit on the sidelines) when the market environment shifts. Income vs. Holding Forever: While Buffett loves holding forever, options traders often benefit from trimming positions and compounding gains actively rather than passively waiting for decades. The Ultimate Goal: "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you're going to work until you die." Options trading allows for theta decay (time value) to work in your favor overnight. "If you cannot explain your strategy to a 10-year-old, then it's too complicated... I don't look to jump over seven-foot bars. I look around for one-foot bars that I could step over." Timestamped Summary (01:50) The "One-Foot Bar" Rule: Why simplicity beats complexity in trading. (04:02) Circle of Competence: Why your watchlist should be unique to you. (07:23) Adapting to Reality: Why you can't force a strategy on a market that doesn't want it. (16:47) Voting vs. Weighing Machine: Short-term price action vs. long-term value. (21:29) The Debate on "Holding Forever": Does this apply to the modern options trader? (40:04) Making Money While You Sleep: The ultimate goal of passive trading. If you enjoyed this breakdown of Buffett's wisdom, please leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. Share this episode with a friend who needs to stop overcomplicating their trades.

We've all heard of the "TACO" (Trump Always Chickens Out) trade, but there's a new, more powerful government-driven strategy in play. This episode reveals a simple yet potent playbook for what we're calling: The New Trump Trade (Not TACO). We explore the simple thesis: when the U.S. administration takes a direct ownership stake in a company, we should consider trading right alongside them. This isn't just a theory; we're seeing the results in real-time. We'll look at the government's involvement with Intel (INTC) and how that stock has nearly doubled, and then dive into a watch list of rare earth and materials companies like MP Materials (MP), Lithium Americas (LAC), and Trilogy Metals (TMQ) that have seen explosive returns since the government stepped in. This isn't about capitalism at its best; it's about playing the market that we have. Are you ready to follow the ultimate smart money? Subscribe for more unique trading playbooks. Key Takeaways The New "Trump Trade" Thesis: The core idea is simple: if the U.S. government takes an ownership stake in a public company, investors should consider "following the smart money" and buying shares or long-term options, as the company is now a strategic national asset. The Intel (INTC) Example: The playbook started with Intel, which the government partnered with to secure the U.S. chip supply. Since the government's involvement, the stock has nearly doubled, proving the thesis that these companies "are not going to fail." The Rare Earth Materials Watch List: The strategy has expanded as the government seeks to secure domestic supplies of rare earth metals. A watch list of companies the government has already bought into includes: MP Materials (MP): Up from ~$30 to ~$89. Lithium Americas (LAC): Up ~66% in two weeks. Trilogy Metals (TMQ): Up from ~$2 to ~$8 in two weeks. The Government Will Set Price Floors: The administration has announced it will buy more companies in other industries and, significantly, will set price floors for these commodities. This is great for company profits (though not capitalism at its best) and provides a strong tailwind for the stocks. How to Play It: Stocks or LEAPS: Investors can trade these companies by either buying the stock outright for a long-term hold (aiming for 3x, 5x, or 10x returns) or by buying long-dated LEAP options (6+ months out) to control the position with less capital. "The Trump trade that I'm discussing... is that the companies that the administration buys or takes a piece of are could be very excellent traits... we should be trading right alongside the government." Timestamped Summary (00:40) The Old "TACO" Trade: A quick review of the old "TACO" (Trump Always Chickens Out) trade, which was based on him bluffing about tariffs. (03:52) The Fed Playbook (Market Context): A brief look at the current market environment, with the Fed signaling rate cuts, which provides a bullish tailwind for the stock market into the end of the year. (04:48) The New Trump Trade Explained (Intel): The episode reveals the new playbook: follow the government's investments. It starts with the Intel (INTC) deal, which has seen the stock nearly double. (08:23) The Rare Earths Watch List: The host unveils the new watch list of materials and mining companies the government is investing in, including MP, LAC, and TMQ, and their explosive returns. (14:52) How to Trade These Stocks: A discussion on the best ways to play this trend, such as buying the stock for a long-term hold or using long-dated LEAP options for a cheaper entry. What do you think of this 'New Trump Trade' playbook? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. If you found this insight valuable, share this episode with a friend who is looking for new trade ideas. Enjoying our unique take on the markets? A 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps us grow the show.

You can't trade without a broker, but having the wrong one is like trading with one hand tied behind your back. With all the consolidation and new players in the industry, how do you choose the right one for your options strategy? This episode is a complete review of the current landscape. We're talking about: Option Trading Brokers Reviewed. We'll break down the pros and cons of the biggest names in the game, from the undisputed champion of platforms, Thinkorswim (now at Schwab), to the pro-level (but difficult) Interactive Brokers. Learn why tastytrade's value may have changed since its acquisition and discover some lesser-known, low-cost brokers like eOption and TradeStation. We also discuss the rise of Robinhood and why, for serious options sellers, a desktop platform is still king. Don't just pick the first broker you see. This is your guide to finding the right fit for your trading style. Did you know your commissions are almost always negotiable? Subscribe for more essential trading tips. Key Takeaways Best Overall Platform: Schwab (for Thinkorswim): Despite a potentially slow setup process, Schwab is rated #1 primarily because it offers the Thinkorswim (TOS) platform, which is considered the most powerful and comprehensive tool for options analysis. Best for Professionals & Low Cost: Interactive Brokers (IBKR): IBKR offers the best fill prices and is the only major broker that does not use "payment for order flow." It's also the best choice for international traders. However, its software is notoriously difficult to learn, and customer service is lacking. The "Trader-Focused" Brokers (tastytrade, TradeStation, eOption): tastytrade: Built for options sellers but has seen a decline in value since being acquired by a private equity firm and the original founders departed. eOption: A great, low-cost "no-fluff" broker with excellent customer service, ideal for traders who use separate charting software. TradeStation: A new player with an interesting monthly membership fee model for commission-free trading, but its different platforms are still being integrated. Robinhood is Built for Phones, Not Complex Trading: While Robinhood is growing fast and adding features like SPX trading, its mobile-first focus makes it difficult to analyze and execute complex options strategies like iron condors. Most serious traders prefer a robust desktop platform. Pro-Tip: Your Commissions are Negotiable: Don't accept the default commission rate. Once you have a track record or a decent account size, call your broker and ask for a better rate. They can almost always go lower. "When you're just starting out, I think people try to pick the perfect broker. It's like, No, don't worry about it... in the first, maybe even 50 trades or 100 trades, we're not even trying to make money... We're just trying to learn the skills." Timestamped Summary (01:52) #1 Broker: Schwab / Thinkorswim: A breakdown of why the Thinkorswim (TOS) platform makes Schwab the top choice, despite its overwhelming initial appearance and the fact that most traders only use 5% of its features. (05:13) #2 Broker: Interactive Brokers (IBKR): An overview of the pros (best pricing, no payment for order flow, international access) and cons (difficult software, poor customer service) of IBKR. (09:20) The tastytrade Story: The history of tastytrade, its acquisition by a private equity firm, and why the departure of its founders has led to a decline for what was once a top broker for option sellers. (13:28) Low-Cost & Niche Brokers (eOption / TradeStation): A look at two smaller brokers: eOption, known for low costs and great service, and TradeStation, which offers a unique monthly membership for commissions. (16:53) The Robinhood Factor: A discussion on Robinhood's rise, its mobile-first limitations for serious options trading, and its focus on crypto and tokenization. Which broker do you use for options, and what's your favorite feature? Let us know in the comments. If you know someone just starting out and looking for a broker, share this episode with them. Enjoyed this broker breakdown? A 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps us reach and empower more traders.

The Federal Reserve has officially started a rate-cutting cycle, and Chairman Powell has telegraphed that more cuts are likely on the way. For traders, this is a time to be "licking your chops." This episode is all about: The FED Playbook. We dive into the historical data to see what has happened in the 11 previous times since 1980 that the Fed has cut rates multiple times in a row. Discover why, in the absence of a major recession, the market has historically seen double-digit gains 12 months later. We'll explore which sectors—from defensive stocks and small caps to banks and homebuilders—tend to perform best during these cycles. This isn't a guess; it's a playbook based on decades of market history. Is it time to "back up the truck" and load up? Subscribe for more deep dives into the market forces that matter. Key Takeaways The Fed Has Signaled a Cutting Cycle: Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has clearly telegraphed that a rate-cutting cycle has begun, with potentially one or two more cuts expected before the end of the year. This removes a significant amount of uncertainty for the market. History Shows Strong Market Performance: In the 11 times since 1980 that the Fed has initiated a multi-cut cycle without a recession, the S&P 500 has been up an average of 14.5% twelve months later. The market was also higher, on average, three and six months after the first cut. The "Goldilocks" Scenario is Here: The current environment of a stable economy, manageable inflation (around 3%), and a Fed that is actively cutting rates is what many describe as a "Goldilocks" scenario for the stock market. Expect Broad Market Leadership: Historically, Fed cutting cycles tend to broaden market leadership beyond just the tech sector. Defensive stocks (like consumer staples) tend to gain early, while cyclicals (like banks, homebuilders, and small caps) often perform better later in the cycle. The Playbook Says: Be in the Market: Based on the strong historical precedent, the playbook for this environment is to have exposure to the stock market to capitalize on the expected upward trend. While a 10% pullback is always possible and healthy, fighting the long-term trend in this environment would be a mistake. "The Fed lowering rates multiple times in succession has happened before. History repeats itself. So what is the playbook? Well, let's take a look at what has happened before." Timestamped Summary (00:52) The Fed's Clear Signal: The episode kicks off with the news that Fed Chairman Powell has clearly telegraphed a rate-cutting cycle, removing market uncertainty. (02:30) The Historical Playbook: A deep dive into the data from the last 11 multi-cut cycles since 1980, revealing that the market is up an average of 14.5% a year later when there is no recession. (09:27) The "Goldilocks" Scenario: An argument for why the current combination of a stable economy, manageable inflation, and an easing Fed creates a highly favorable "Goldilocks" environment for stocks. (12:41) Which Sectors Perform Best?: A look at the historical data on which sectors tend to benefit most during a rate-cutting cycle, including defensive stocks, banks, small caps, and homebuilders. (14:30) The Bottom Line: "Back Up the Truck": The host's concluding thought that the historical playbook for this scenario is clear: it's time to have exposure to the market and "load up the truck." Are you bullish or bearish for the rest of the year? Share your take in the comments. If this episode helped you understand the Fed's impact, share it with a friend who is new to investing. Enjoying our market analysis? A 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps us grow the show.

It's one of the toughest decisions any trader faces: your trade is a winner, but there's still more potential profit on the table. Do you take the money and run, or do you let it ride for a bigger gain? This episode is a candid, real-time debate about this very dilemma, exploring the topic of: When To Exit a Winning Trade. Using a live "Phoenix" trade on SPX as a case study, we break down the math and the mindset behind two different approaches. Is it better to lock in a solid 4.4% return early, freeing up your capital and mental energy? Or is it worth risking that profit for an additional 1.1% gain by holding until the end? We explore the psychology of never wanting to give back a profit, the concept of "velocity of money," and the danger of letting the word "need" creep into your trading decisions. There's no single right answer, but understanding the variables is key to developing your own consistent style. What's your thought process on taking profits? Subscribe for more real-life trading discussions. Key Takeaways It's a Trade-Off: Certain Profit vs. Potential More: The core dilemma is whether to lock in a guaranteed, solid profit now or risk that profit for a smaller, additional gain by holding the position longer. In the episode's example, the choice was between a certain $355 profit or holding for a potential extra $90. The Psychology of "Not Giving It Back": A powerful emotional driver for exiting early is the desire to avoid the painful feeling of a winning trade turning into a loser. For many traders, the goal of consistency means booking a win and moving on to the next opportunity without taking on unnecessary end-of-day risk. Risking Your Win: What's the Real Math?: A key question to ask is, "Am I risking my current profit to make a worthwhile additional gain?" In the example, the trader was risking a $355 profit to make an extra $90. Understanding this risk/reward ratio is crucial for making a logical, not emotional, decision. The "Velocity of Money" Concept: Exiting a trade early, even if you leave some profit on the table, frees up your capital and mental bandwidth to find and enter the next high-probability trade. This "velocity of money" can be more valuable than squeezing every last penny out of a single position. Beware the "Need" Mindset: A major red flag in your decision-making is when you start to feel you need to make a certain amount of money on a trade, perhaps to break even for the month. Trading from a place of desperation or "need" is a danger sign that you are likely to make a poor, emotionally driven decision. "I think that's one of the worst feelings in trading... you have a decent profit... and then you give it all back." Timestamped Summary (01:56) The Live Trade Scenario: An introduction to the real-life "Phoenix" trade on SPX that sparked the debate: a winning position with the choice to exit early or hold for more profit. (07:36) The Psychology of Exiting Early: A deep dive into the mindset of a trader who prefers to take a guaranteed profit to avoid the pain of giving back a win and to maintain consistency. (12:16) The Math of Letting It Ride: A crucial look at the numbers. Is it a good trade-off to risk an existing $355 profit to potentially make an additional $90? (15:15) The "I Need This" Danger Zone: A warning about the psychological trap of letting your P&L for the month influence your decision on a single trade, and why trading from a place of "need" is a red flag. (26:07) The "Velocity of Money" vs. Holding to Expiration: A discussion on when it makes sense to exit a longer-term trade early to free up capital for a new opportunity, versus letting a safe trade ride to expiration. What's your rule for taking profits on a winning trade? Share your strategy in the comments. If this episode made you think about your own exit strategy, share it with a trading buddy. Enjoying these real-life trading discussions? A 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps us grow the conversation!

The meme stock phenomenon is back, so much so that a new ETF has been created to track them. But what exactly is in this new basket of high-risk, high-reward stocks? This episode is all about: Meme Stocks. We dive into the top 10 holdings of a new meme stock ETF, exploring companies in sectors from real estate and energy to the cutting-edge world of quantum computing. Discover the one thing all these stocks have in common—high short interest—and why that makes them prime candidates for explosive "short squeeze" rallies. We'll also discuss the critical difference between a company with a questionable future like GameStop and a speculative company with a genuinely compelling story, like those in the quantum computing space. Finally, we'll explain why these highly unpredictable stocks are generally unsuitable for conservative options selling strategies. Are you ready to see what's on the new meme watch list? Subscribe for more insights into the market's hottest trends. Key Takeaways The New Wave of Meme Stocks: The meme stock trade is active again, leading to the launch of a new ETF designed to track them. This episode reviews the top 10 holdings of this new ETF. The Common Denominator is High Short Interest: The defining characteristic of a meme stock is not its business model, but its extremely high short interest. This means many institutional traders are betting against the company, making it vulnerable to a "short squeeze" if retail traders coordinate to buy the stock. A Separation of "Memes": Story vs. Obscurity: Not all meme stocks are created equal. Some, like GameStop, have a questionable long-term business model. Others, particularly in speculative tech sectors like quantum computing, have a compelling (though unproven) story that could lead to massive future value. Driven by Short Squeezes, Not Fundamentals: The rapid, thousand-percent gains seen in many of these stocks are not typically driven by fundamentals. They are the result of short squeezes, where short sellers are forced to buy back shares at higher and higher prices to cover their losing bets, creating a feedback loop. Unsuitable for Conservative Option Selling: Due to their extreme unpredictability and explosive volatility, these stocks are generally not suitable for conservative option selling strategies like credit spreads. The risk of a sudden, massive move wiping out a position is too high. "All of these things have one thing in common that makes them meme stocks is that the short interest is huge. They have a very high short interest because people are betting against it." Timestamped Summary (00:40) The Return of the Meme Stock ETF: The episode kicks off with the news that a meme stock tracking ETF is back after a previous failure, signaling renewed interest in the space. (02:27) The Top 10 Holdings Review: A walkthrough of the top 10 stocks in the new meme ETF, including Open Door (OPEN), Plug Power (PLUG), and several quantum computing companies. (09:22) The Critical Difference: Story vs. No Story: A discussion on how some meme stocks have a legitimate, albeit speculative, long-term story (like quantum computing), while others (like GameStop) have a much more questionable future. (13:48) Not For Conservative Option Sellers: The host's clear take on why these stocks, despite their high implied volatility, are generally too unpredictable and risky for premium-selling strategies. What's your favorite meme stock on this list, and why? Let us know in the comments. If you know someone who loves to follow the meme stock craze, share this episode with them. Enjoying our real-time market commentary? A 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps us grow the show.

They promise 2x or even 3x the market's daily returns, but financial advisors warn they are a trap for long-term investors. So what's the real story? This episode offers a personal and unfiltered take on one of the most debated topics in modern finance: Trading with Inverse and Leveraged ETFs. We break down how these complex products work and why conventional wisdom says to avoid holding them due to fees and tracking "decay." Hear a personal account of long-term success holding a 3x leveraged ETF (TQQQ), challenging the mainstream advice. We'll also share two critical cautionary tales: one about a hedging strategy gone wrong during the Great Recession, and another on why inverse ETFs are particularly dangerous in bear markets due to "rip your face off rallies." This is not your typical textbook advice. It's a real-world perspective on the potential and the pitfalls of using these powerful tools. When is the best trade no trade at all? Subscribe for more honest trading insights. Key Takeaways They Offer Magnified Returns and Risks: Leveraged ETFs (like TQQQ) use derivatives to aim for 2x or 3x the daily return of an underlying index, while inverse ETFs aim for the opposite. This magnification works on the downside as well, making them highly volatile instruments. Conventional Wisdom Says "Don't Hold Long-Term": Most financial advisors warn against holding these ETFs for more than a day due to the corrosive effect of high fees and daily rebalancing, which can cause their long-term performance to "decay" and not perfectly track the underlying index. Personal Experience Can Differ: The host shares his personal, multi-year experience holding the 3x leveraged ETF TQQQ, stating that despite the conventional warnings, it has been his single best-performing holding and has significantly outperformed the underlying NASDAQ index. Beware of Inverse ETFs and "Rip Your Face Off Rallies": The host strongly cautions against using inverse ETFs to bet against the market. The reason is that bear markets often contain the most violent, explosive single-day rallies, which can wipe out a short position very quickly. The Best Trade Can Be No Trade: A powerful cautionary tale is shared from the 2008 crisis, where trying to hedge by owning both a 2x leveraged ETF and a 2x inverse ETF still resulted in a loss. The lesson: when the market is too wild and you don't know what to do, sitting in cash is often the smartest move. "The word on the street... is not to hold, not to own a leveraged ETF for the long term... But for me, I've held TQQQ in one account or another for years... and it is the number one best performing holding that I've had." Timestamped Summary (00:44) What are Leveraged and Inverse ETFs?: A clear explanation of how 2x and 3x ETFs work and the derivatives they use to achieve magnified returns. (05:15) The Conventional Wisdom vs. Personal Experience: A breakdown of why financial advisors warn against holding these products long-term, contrasted with the host's personal story of multi-year success with TQQQ. (08:44) A Hedging Strategy Gone Wrong (Cautionary Tale): Hear the personal story from the Great Recession of buying both a 2x leveraged and 2x inverse ETF, and still losing money, highlighting the instruments' decay. (11:15) The Dangers of Inverse ETFs and "Rip Your Face Off Rallies": Learn why betting against the market with inverse ETFs is so risky, especially due to the violent short-squeezes common in bear markets. (12:47) Trading Options on Leveraged ETFs: The host's take on why he avoids trading most options strategies on these products, arguing that a covered call defeats the purpose and spreads are better suited for less volatile underlyings. Do you use leveraged ETFs in your portfolio? Share your experience—good or bad—in the comments. If this episode provided a unique perspective on a complex topic, share it with a friend who trades ETFs. Enjoying our real-world take on trading? A 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps us reach more listeners.

The allure of 0DTE (Zero Days to Expiration) options is powerful, promising fast-paced action and quick results. But can this strategy realistically and safely fit into a busy work schedule? We break down the hard truth about short-term trading: the market can shift on a dime, and you must have the ability to access your platform to manage trades when things go wrong. While 95% of trades may not require much attention, the other 5% are critical. We'll discuss the absolute minimum requirements for attempting this strategy and why, for many busy professionals, a longer-term approach is a much safer and less stressful path to success. If you have very limited time to check the markets, are strategies like covered calls and cash-secured puts a better fit for your lifestyle? Subscribe for more practical and honest trading guidance. Key Takeaways 0DTE Trading Requires Active Management: Unlike long-term investing, 0DTE and 1DTE strategies are not "set it and forget it." The market can move dramatically in a single day, and you must have the ability to access your trading platform (on a phone or computer) to make adjustments. The "5% Rule" is Critical: While the host estimates that 95% of short-term trades may not need much intervention, the 5% that get into trouble require immediate attention. If you are unavailable during those critical moments, you risk significant losses that can wipe out many small wins. If You Have No Time, It's Not For You: The host is unequivocal: if your job prevents you from checking the markets or your phone at all during the day, short-term trading strategies like 0DTE are not a suitable choice and will likely lead to you losing money. A Better Alternative: Longer-Term Strategies: For investors with very limited time, longer-term and more conservative options strategies like covered calls and cash-secured puts are a much better fit. These often only need to be managed once a month around expiration. Mental Bandwidth is a Factor: Even if you can physically check your trades, being in a position that requires monitoring can be a major mental distraction from your primary job, especially during important meetings or focused work. Short-term trading is not for everyone's personality or work situation. "If you're going to be in something that is so short in time, you're going to have to be able to access the computer... otherwise you're going to end up losing money. In the short term, there's no like, set it and forget it." Timestamped Summary (01:21) The Core Problem with 0DTE and a Full-Time Job: An immediate breakdown of why short-term trading is challenging for busy professionals, as the market can "shift on a dime." (03:13) The "5% of the Time" Rule: Understand why, even if most trades are quiet, your availability during the critical 5% of trades that go wrong is what determines your success or failure. (04:47) The Recommended Alternative for Busy People: Discover why longer-term strategies like covered calls and cash-secured puts are a much safer and more suitable starting point for those who cannot actively monitor the market. (06:06) The Mental Bandwidth Consideration: A discussion on the hidden "cost" of short-term trading—the mental distraction it can cause from your primary career, even if you are able to check your phone. Do you trade while working? Share your biggest challenge or best tip in the comments below. If you know someone considering 0DTE trading, share this episode with them for a realistic perspective. Enjoying our honest, no-fluff approach? A 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps us reach more traders.

As investors, we move through different stages—from trying to make more money to trying to protect what we've built. But what is the biggest underlying threat to that wealth? This episode is a personal reflection on a critical, long-term issue facing all of us. This is: My Biggest Money Fear. Inspired by books like "The Fourth Turning is Here" and the work of Ray Dalio, we explore the potential decline of the US dollar as the world's reserve currency. Discover why this status has been the bedrock of American prosperity and what the consequences—like massive inflation and scarcity—could be if it erodes. We'll look at the geopolitical pressures from BRICS nations and a rising China that are challenging the dollar's dominance. This isn't about short-term market moves; it's about the fundamental stability of the financial system we all depend on. What can you do to prepare? Subscribe for more deep dives into the forces shaping our financial future. Key Takeaways The Biggest Money Fear: The Decline of the US Dollar: The host's primary financial concern is the potential for the US dollar to lose its status as the world's reserve currency, a shift that would have profound and negative consequences for the U.S. economy and standard of living. The Consequence: Massive Inflation and Scarcity: If the dollar is no longer the world's reserve currency, the U.S. would likely have to inflate its currency to pay its massive debts. This could lead to hyperinflation (40%, 50%, 100%+) and a scarcity of goods as production becomes uneconomical. The Geopolitical Drivers: Several global forces are challenging the dollar's dominance, including the formation of the BRICS nations alliance seeking its own currency, and the geopolitical maneuvering of a rising China against a declining U.S. empire, as described by Ray Dalio. The Bigger, Personal Fear: The Risk of War: The host notes that historically, shifts in global power from a declining empire to a rising one often lead to major military conflict. His biggest overall fear is the potential for a new world war and its impact on his draft-age children. The Recommended Preparation: Faced with this systemic risk, the books and analysis discussed in the episode recommend preparing by owning hard assets that exist outside the traditional dollar system, specifically gold and crypto. "If the dollar is no longer the reserve currency, life as we know it will change forever." Timestamped Summary (00:45) My Biggest Money Fear: The host sets the stage by explaining his personal financial position of "protecting capital" and introduces his primary fear: the decline of the US dollar. (04:41) Why the Dollar's Reserve Status Matters: A clear explanation of what the reserve currency is, how it has fueled U.S. prosperity, and the severe consequences (hyperinflation) of losing that status. (07:54) The Geopolitical Threats (BRICS & China): A look at the global alliances and power shifts, particularly the BRICS nations and a rising China, that are actively working to usurp the dollar's dominance. (10:29) The Bigger Fear: World War III: The host shares his deepest concern, citing Ray Dalio's work, that the shift in global empires could ultimately lead to a major war. (13:48) How to Be Prepared: The episode concludes with the actionable advice suggested by the source material: preparing for this potential future by owning a diversified portfolio of hard assets like gold and crypto. What's your biggest long-term money fear? Share your thoughts in the comments below. If this episode made you think about the bigger picture, share it with a friend or family member. Enjoying our unique take on the markets? A 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps us grow the conversation.

Is your trading causing you tension, fatigue, and anxiety? For most, the constant need to predict the market's next move is a recipe for burnout. This episode explores a radically different, calmer approach to the markets and answers the question: How To Trade Without Stress? Inspired by the book "The Surrender Experiment," we discuss how the root cause of trading stress is trying to force your will on an uncontrollable market. Discover the power of letting go of predictions and instead trading the market you have, not the one you want. We'll contrast the high-stress, predictive style of Jim Cramer with the calm, patient, ownership approach of Warren Buffett. Learn how to use probabilities instead of predictions and how letting go of a single frustrating trade can unlock your entire portfolio's potential. This is your guide to shifting from a posture of stressful control to one of calm, disciplined flow. Is your stress a signal that it's time to change your approach? Subscribe for more insights into the professional trading mindset. Key Takeaways Stress Comes From Trying to Control the Uncontrollable: The primary source of trading stress is the futile attempt to predict and control the market. Accepting that the market is bigger than you and will never be under your control is the first step to reducing anxiety. Trade the Market You Have, Not the One You Want: A less stressful approach involves reacting to current market conditions with a probabilistic edge, rather than trying to force the market to meet your predictions. This means using strategies that have room to be wrong and can be adjusted with the market's flow. The "Surrender" Mindset: Inspired by Michael Singer's "The Surrender Experiment," the goal is to let go of the need to know what happens next. By trading with probabilities and not predictions, you can remove the emotional attachment to a specific outcome, thus reducing stress. The Cramer vs. Buffett Contrast: The episode highlights two opposing trading styles. The Jim Cramer style is predictive, fast-paced, and visibly high-stress. The Warren Buffett style is research-based, patient, and visibly low-stress; he buys good companies and lets them run without trying to micro-manage the outcome. Your Stress Can Be a Signal: Frustration and stress around a specific trade can be a powerful signal from the market (or universe) that you are trying to force something that isn't working. Learning to listen to that signal and exit or adjust the trade can be a revolutionary way to manage your portfolio and your well-being. "I try to have as less stress as possible in my trading, and I try to trade the market that I have, not the way I want the market to be, and I do that by not predicting." Timestamped Summary (02:00) The "Surrender Experiment" Inspiration: An introduction to the core philosophy of the episode, based on the idea of letting go of control and surrendering to the flow of life and the market. (05:50) The Root Cause of Trading Stress: A breakdown of why trying to predict the market and force it to meet your expectations is the primary source of frustration and anxiety for traders. (07:22) The Eli Lilly Trap: A Personal Revenge Trading Story: Hear a candid, personal story about how trying to force a win on one single stock created stress and held back the entire portfolio's performance. (08:34) The Cramer vs. Buffett Contrast: A powerful comparison between the high-stress, predictive style of Jim Cramer and the calm, patient, hands-off approach of Warren Buffett. (12:38) A New Experiment: Trading Based on Stress: Discover the host's new, revolutionary idea of using his own stress level as a signal for when to adjust or exit a trade. Does your trading cause you stress? Share your biggest challenge in the comments below. If this episode offered you a new perspective on trading, share it with a friend who could use a calmer approach. Enjoying the podcast? A 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps us reach and empower more investors.

Is the stock market a level playing field, or is the system rigged against the little guy? This episode dives headfirst into one of the most glaring conflicts of interest in modern finance, sparked by a recent legislative push. We're talking about: Congress Insider Trading. We break down the recent bill proposed to ban members of Congress, their spouses, and other high-ranking officials from trading individual stocks. Discover the shocking resistance this common-sense idea has faced and hear the outrageous justifications from politicians who argue that being a senator would become "unattractive" without the ability to trade. This discussion highlights the stark contrast between the self-serving attitudes of today and the civic-duty mindset of the nation's founders. Is it a step in the right direction, or will the system protect its own? Subscribe for more discussions on how Wall Street and Washington impact the individual investor. Key Takeaways A Bill to Ban Trading Faces Resistance: A bill was recently introduced to ban members of Congress, their spouses, the President, and the Vice President from trading stocks, a move widely supported by the public but facing significant political opposition. The "Unattractive Job" Excuse: In defending his vote against the bill, one senator outrageously claimed that being a senator would become "unattractive" if they couldn't trade stocks, highlighting a profound disconnect with the idea of public service. A Glaring Conflict of Interest: The ability of lawmakers, who have access to non-public information and the power to create market-moving legislation, to trade individual stocks is seen by many as a form of legalized insider trading. A Step in the Right Direction: Despite the opposition, the bill managed to pass an initial committee vote, signaling that public pressure and transparency are beginning to have an effect, even if the road ahead is difficult. A Departure From Founding Principles: The episode contrasts the self-serving arguments of modern politicians with the civic-minded ethos of figures like George Washington, who reluctantly accepted leadership roles out of a sense of duty, not for personal enrichment. "He came out and he said that I voted against it because it would make it, quote, unquote unattractive to become a senator. If I could not trade stocks". Timestamped Summary (00:45) The Premise: A System Rigged Against the Little Guy: The episode kicks off by discussing the public perception that the government isn't on our side, using the rampant success of congressional stock trading as a prime example. (01:58) The Bill to Ban Congressional Trading: A breakdown of the new legislation aimed at preventing lawmakers and their spouses from trading individual stocks and the political hurdles it faces. (03:30) The Outrageous "Unattractive Job" Quote: Hear the direct, shocking quote from a senator explaining why he voted against the bill, revealing a mindset focused on personal enrichment over public service. (04:55) A Stark Contrast with the Founding Fathers: The discussion compares the modern political attitude toward wealth and power with the reluctant, duty-bound approach of figures like George Washington. What are your thoughts on this issue? Should members of Congress be banned from trading stocks? Let us know in the comments. If you believe in fair markets for everyone, share this episode with your network. Enjoying our take on the markets? A 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps us grow and reach more listeners.

We've all heard the stories of missing out on early investments like Apple or Amazon. But as history shows, new technological waves are always emerging. This episode dives into one of the most significant digital assets today and asks the question: Why You Should Own ETH? We explore the compelling case for Ethereum, not as "digital gold" like Bitcoin, but as "digital oil"—the fuel that powers a vast ecosystem of other crypto projects and decentralized finance (DeFi). Discover the powerful catalysts on the horizon, from companies being formed just to hold ETH to major technological upgrades. We'll discuss why we may be in the "1996 of the internet" moment for digital assets and how a simple strategy like dollar-cost averaging can be a smart way to gain exposure. Is ETH the next great technological investment you can't afford to miss? Subscribe to hear our take on the opportunities shaping the future of finance. Key Takeaways ETH as "Digital Oil": Unlike Bitcoin, which is often compared to digital gold (a store of value), Ethereum's primary value comes from its utility. It acts as the foundational layer, or "digital oil," that greases the wheels for countless other crypto projects, smart contracts, and the DeFi ecosystem. Powerful Catalysts for Growth: The demand for ETH is poised to grow due to strong catalysts, including new companies being formed with the sole purpose of acquiring and holding Ethereum, as well as significant technological upgrades coming to the Ethereum network. Adoption is the Key Indicator: The increasing adoption of digital assets by individuals, institutions, and even governments signals that they are becoming a permanent part of the financial landscape. We are still in the early stages, comparable to the internet in 1996, with massive room for growth. A Parallel to Past Tech Revolutions: Missing the boat on ETH could be analogous to missing out on early investments in foundational tech companies like Apple, Amazon, or Microsoft. Each technological wave presents new opportunities for investors who get in before mass adoption. Dollar-Cost Averaging is a Smart Approach: You don't need to perfectly time the market. A disciplined strategy of dollar-cost averaging—investing a fixed amount regularly—is a prudent way to build a position over time, buying at various price points and benefiting from the long-term upward trend. "Bitcoin is digital gold, and you hold it... Ethereum is more like digital oil, because it's used to make other things. It's used to grease the wheels of other projects." Timestamped Summary (01:55) The "Digital Oil" Analogy: An explanation of why Ethereum's value is tied to its utility in powering other projects, distinguishing it from Bitcoin's "digital gold" status. (04:15) The Catalysts Driving Future Growth: A look at the key factors expected to increase demand for ETH, including institutional buying and the expansion of its ecosystem. (06:18) We're in "1996 for Digital Assets": Hear the argument for why we are still in the very early innings of crypto adoption, suggesting significant long-term growth potential. (07:40) The Forrest Gump / Apple Stock Parallel: A relatable story illustrating how getting in early on major technological shifts (like Apple then, or crypto now) can lead to massive wealth creation. What are your thoughts on the future of Ethereum? Let us know in the comments below. If this episode made you think differently about crypto, share it with a friend who is still on the fence. Enjoying the podcast? A 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps us reach more investors like you.

Alright, hey there, passive traders. This is Allen, coming to you with another episode of the Option Genius Podcast. Today, I wanted to talk about something that has been a pretty cool milestone for me, something I'm very excited about, but it's not something I can really share with friends or family. But I thought that if I shared it with you, you guys would appreciate it. And there's also a human relations, human nature lesson as well. And so, you know, it comes back to, like, is there ever a time, or is there something that you know to be maybe not true, right? It's like it goes against your common sense, but you still do it because you've just heard it done so many times, and so many people have said to do it, and it's just what everybody does. Yeah, you know, anything like that? And you just keep doing it. I mean, I am known as the passive trading guy, right? And I preach it all the time that, hey, look, if you can get your money to make money for you as much as you spend every month, then you can essentially retire, right? So if your expenses are, say, $10,000 a month, and from your trading, you can make $10,000 a month, then you can retire. You don't have to work anymore. You've just replaced your income. But I guess I don't follow that. I mean, I do, but I don't. And it goes back to, like, when I was very young, right after I got married, my wife was a big saver, and I, at that point, was not. And so she had savings. I had nothing. I was starting to trade. But her savings were really, really significant, and so I had to do something to show her that, look, we're going to be secure. I'm going to take care of you. And so I started putting money away in our Roth IRAs at that point, right? So I'm putting the money away, and that's the thing to do, right? You put your money away, you put it in a retirement account, and you let it grow, and you let it compound, and then eventually you get old, and then you retire, and you don't have to worry about money, right? That's what you're supposed to do. Now, my goal all the time was to retire early, but I'm still plugging all this money away into the retirement account every year. And then I started a company, and then the CPA told me, "Hey, you know, you should probably start a retirement account from the company. So the company pays money into your retirement account. For you, it's deductible. You'll save some money on your taxes." And I'm like, "Okay, that sounds good. I like saving money on taxes." So we started putting more money away. We started putting more money away, and it just kept going. And I didn't really think about it. Now, I read a book recently. It's called Die With Zero, and that got me to think. And so recently, at the end of the year, I went and I looked at, you know, all my finances, the balance sheet, and the net worth, and assets, liabilities, all that stuff. And I'm looking at it, and I'm realizing that, look, in our retirement accounts, for me and my wife, we have a substantial amount of money, especially with last year, you know, the market going up 20%, the year before that the market was up 20%, and so it's grown a lot, and we have a substantial amount of money in our retirement accounts. Maybe I don't have to put any more money in there, I don't know. So I took out my calculator, and I'm like, "Hey, this is going to be... let's see, right?" So I took the amount of money that I had, and let's call it "A," right? Just to make it simple, let's call it "A." And I said, "Okay, if I have this 'A' pile, right? I have 'A,' and that's the nest egg. Now, I'm going to retire at 65, let's just say, it's the number everybody uses, 65, want to retire, and I've got 17 years left. So if I have 'A,' and it grows at a decent rate of return, maybe 6, 7, 8, 9%, I don't know. You know, it varies. But if it grows at a decent rate of return, how much money am I going to have in my retirement account, my nest egg, in 17 years when I'm 65?" I did the numbers. We did it at different percentages, and it's going to come out to a very big number, you know, let's call it "Y." So the future nest egg is "Y," alright? The current nest egg is "A." Then I talked to my wife, and I'm saying, "Hey, babe, you know, 15 or 17 years from now, I'm going to be 65, you'll be a little younger. How much money do you think we can spend every month?" You know, we talked about it, we went over like, "Hey, you know, the kids will be grown. We're not really going to spend much money on them. Maybe the house will be paid off. And we're not big spenders as it is. So maybe we'd be spending, I don't know, on average, maybe $150,000. Now with, you know, inflation and whatnot, I'm not going to count that in. I'm not going to count taxes. I'm not going to count other expenses. And also, that's not the only, you know, this nest egg, the 'Y,' is not the only money I'm going to have. I'm going to have other investments and Social Security and Medicare, Medicaid, whatever, and all that stuff too

This is part 2 of my interview with John S Pennington Jr. Make sure to listen to Part 1 first. Allen It seems like I mean, because all the stuff you're mentioning, you know, Ray Dalio in his books, he talks about it too, you know, like, how does one Empire take over from another one? And it's because of the the currency, it's because of you know, and he's been talking about it for a while that there's a collision course coming. And everybody's afraid of it. You know, I mean, I'm even afraid of it. Because if we go to war in 10 years from now, you know, I have two boys that are 13 and 11, they're probably going to be drafted because everybody in the United States is overweight, and they can't fight it. So there's got to be some, right? There's gonna be some serious problem with the Army not having enough people. So my kids are gonna be fighting in a war. I don't want them fighting in and like, everybody's freaking out about it. And like you said, you know, China, they brokered the deal. They're making friends in the Middle East. They're making friends in Africa. They're giving loans like you said, US gave loans to everybody. They gave loans in trillions of dollars, not even billions, but I think it was trillions of worth of loans to build infrastructure in Africa that is then maintained owned and run by Chinese. It's not run by the Africans, the Chinese are in charge of it, the Silk Road Project that they built those highways all the way from China all the way to the, you know, the Mediterranean. I mean, yeah, they've been doing it crazy. And so it seems like everything that you're saying it lines up. And it's like, now that we see John last year in the last year and a half, while the last few months, India has stopped on some level, not all the way stopped buying Russian oil. They just read some reports this last month that they have, they have curbed their Russian oil purchases. Really. Okay. Now, I don't know exactly why. But I do know, there's tons of companies that have moved from China, to South Korea, Thailand, and India. And I believe India is now choosing Wait a minute, we want to be in good graces with the United States because that's where we're going to suck up all those jobs on China. They're going to come to India. Right. And I think India's Modi, President Modi over there is making a strategic move to go with you know, the US dollar and to do that he's got to appease the the United States by saying you know what, Russia, we even though your oil is cheaper, doesn't matter. We're gonna go with US dollar purchases for oil. That Allen could be because China is also having territorial disputes now with India over certain areas. It's funny because we have a an oil Options program where we train, we do coaching on oil options, and we you could see it in the news play out when Russia was putting all their tanks on the border of Ukraine, you know, everybody knew it, they're coming in, they're going to invade and everybody was like, when is it gonna happen? When is it gonna happen? I told her, I'll tell all my traders it's like, you know, just wait. It's not going to happen until the Olympics are open. Olympics are over because the Olympics are in China is like they have the closing ceremonies, like four hours later, boom, there's an invasion. It's like, okay, now we can play it now. It's, you know, it's, yeah, he was insane. So now you said, now I'm trying to figure out like, okay, alright, how can I make money off of this? Right. So it's like you said that Russia and China are still buying gold. So is that? Is that an investment that's going to continue to ramp up because I think gold is at all time highs right now? John Yeah, it's all time high. Silver is kind of trying to get up there. But Silver's having a tough time. So let's go to Okay, let's go to the summer of 2020. All right, summer 2020. The SEC, which is part of the team, you have the team, you know, US dollar, the SEC sues JP Morgan. What are they suing him for? They're suing him for manipulating the precious metals market for nine years. Silver gold, okay. And they lose, JPMorgan loses and they're fined almost a billion dollars a billion dollar fine for nine years and mutilation the SEC. Okay. The point is, JP Morgan figured out how to manipulate and control a market that's 30 times bigger than Bitcoin. Gold and silver and gold for nine years. And they finally SEC found out about it pseudonym wins, finds you billion dollars, but guess what, no one that I know of went to jail. Allen I mean, it wasn't that big in the news, they get headlines, John kind of kept quiet, right. So millions of people that buy and sell silver and gold were fleeced out of how know how many much money but no one goes to jail. But you just find they probably made 20 billion but they're only find a billion it was it was 930 million, but I rounded a billion because we talked about a billion seconds earlier. Right? Okay, so nine 30 million, but close to a billion dollar

Allen Welcome passive traders. Welcome to another edition of the Option Genius Podcast. Today, I am here with someone that's going to blow your mind. I'll give you his name, you probably haven't heard from him. But what he says is going to make a big difference for you. So John S. Pennington Jr. in 2008, co founded a family of private investment funds that by 2021 had over $28 billion of assets under management and completed a successful IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. John then retired that same year but remains a significant stakeholder and is now partner Emeritus at the company. He has been married 38 years with three sons, five grandchildren, and he recently wrote a book which we're going to be talking about called Dollars, Gold, and Bitcoin. It's right here, I could not put it down, you can find it on Amazon and Audible. You guys need to get a copy of this book, because we are not going to be able to talk about everything in this book on this interview. John, thank you so much for being here. John Allen, so good to be here. Thanks for having me. Allen So now I have done. I have heard you speak in the past. And so a few podcasts, I don't should have looked at the episode, but it's one of the past episodes called billionaire lessons. I have talked a little bit and gone over some of the things that you presented on which were covered in your book as well. So it was one of our most popular episodes, really happy that you're here. I just want to get into it. So the book is titled dollars gold and Bitcoin. Now I've already you know, talked about your successful guy you're doing well. Why did you write this book? John When I retired, some people asked me to speak on stage. And I, you know, I didn't charge them. And I just went to these masterminds and I thought, What do I want to talk about? And, you know, I just I looked at what everyone else talks about. And I thought, well, I got to talk about something different. So I started talking about economics and the Federal Reserve and the strength of the dollar and how, you know, the dollar is just a fantastic product worldwide. And I actually, you know, followed the Federal Reserve and how they promoted the US dollar over the years, and how they nudged people to make their product more acceptable around the world. And I kind of used that formula. In my company, or me and my partner's company, as we grew, we kind of use the same type of tactics that the Federal Reserve and the US government has used over the years to promote their number one product, which is the US dollar. And so so it's kind of a, it's kind of reflection of my business history. But it's also a reflection of how I studied and watched the the greatest product ever become the greatest product ever. How did it get there, and then I just kind of wanted to learn from the best. So I just kind of use those tactics with me and my partners to kind of push our business kind of the same way. So that's why I kind of wrote it. Allen Cool. Now, you know, the first time I heard you speak, I've heard you speak twice. And the first time and second time, I'm listening to you, and you are taking these what seemed to be very random events around the world. Yes. It's like, Oh, this guy said this, made this comment. And then this person visited this country, and then nothing happened. And then that happened. And then you took all of these to me, they were just random, you know, like watching the news. You story after story. But you took them and you whoa, this intricate, detailed story that linked them all together. And I'm like, Whoa, how does this guy think like this? how do you how do you come up with this? , John I don't I don't know. I just I just I think as an entrepreneur my whole life, I started my, well, my career, but when I was a young man, I just was really slow reader. I wasn't a good, I wasn't a good student. And I knew that I could not survive in corporate America. I just knew it would eat me alive. It didn't I just wouldn't fit there. And so I knew I had to be my own boss. And that means I probably need to just start my own companies. And so I remember looking in the mirror and this is I think I was 17 or 18. And I said to myself, these words and and I I've repeated this in the mirror, every year, 10 times a year, whatever, I don't know how many for 30 something 40 years, but I said this to myself in the mirror of John, you're not afraid of being poor. And John, you're not afraid of being old, you're just afraid of being old and poor at the same time. And that is stuck with me to push myself in the areas of, I have to start my own business, I have to save money to take risk, right. And so I started 14 businesses in my lifetime ish. And three, I've made a lot of money on obviously, the one I did with the funds and still in it made a lot of money, I three I've lost money on and the rest of them in the middle, you know, I made some money on them, they were pretty good for a while. But you know, so ov

Hey there, if you're looking to invest in 2024, you've probably already heard of the AI boom and how those stocks have already taken off and gone into the stratosphere, you've already probably looked at the weight loss drugs like Eli Lilly and how that's already exploded and gone into the stratosphere. And you've probably even looked at, you know, the mega cap tech stocks and how they've already taken off and gone. So far so high? Well, there is one sector, it's an unloved sector, but it is on fire and it is going to do amazing in 2024. That's what I want to talk about today. So what is this sector? Well, it's not really a sector, it's more of a commodity, which commodity? Well, it's not the normal ones you normally think about. It's uranium. So if you look at uranium prices, uranium prices have doubled in the last year, and they're probably going to double even more, I don't know more than double, but they're gonna go up continuously, maybe even doubled this year that those are the expectations. Why? Because uranium is used in nuclear power plants. And more and more countries are getting away from coal power plants are shutting their coal ones down. And they're building nuclear plants. Only problem is there is a shortage of uranium. So uranium only comes in a few places. It doesn't come from everywhere, you can't mine it everywhere. It's only in a few countries and only in a few mines. And creating a new uranium mine takes millions of dollars and years of planning and research and development to actually get the uranium out of the ground. So right now there is a shortage of uranium. But the demand continues to explode. Pun intended, right. And so that is why your energy prices continue to go higher and higher and higher. Now, if you were companies starting to do a uranium mine, right now to take advantage of these higher prices is going to take you years before you get your money back. And before you even start mining. So the companies that are already there, they already have mines, they are making a killing. And they're making more and more money because their costs are staying relatively the same, but they're making more money when they sell their uranium because the prices continue to go up. Now you can go ahead and check to see a chart of uranium and see how it's going from the bottom left to the top right, and how it continues to grow. Now, if you look at some of the companies themselves, they're doing great as well. There are companies that do mining, they're also ETFs that can only focus on the uranium. Now normally, if you are looking at a miner versus the commodity, you will make more money on the miner than the commodity usually, because there's more Alpha there, there's it can grow faster. But the uranium utility or ETF are also going to be doing very well as well. You might even even get into the futures I haven't even checked to see if there are futures. But that might be an option to play as well. So why is uranium prices going up? Well, one of the reasons is because of the explosion in or not the explosion, but the demand for more nuclear power plants, right? For energy, because the world continues to need more and more energy and wind and solar are not getting the job done in terms of renewables, because of battery power problems. You can't store the energy, so they need a different source. Nuclear is one of the cleanest ones out there. I don't want to get into the politics of it, but it is very clean. And it's a very powerful source of energy. So we have a imbalance in supply and demand. Right. One of the largest mines of uranium is in the country of Kazakhstan. Now Kazakhstan puts a limit on how much uranium is allowed to be mined every year. And so, the main mind there, they announced a few months ago that they were only going to be able to produce about 90% of that limit, because of their own little internal problems. Recently, about a week or two ago, they announced that they're only going to be mining 80% of their prediction, and that chant that sent prices up even higher. And if you look at the price charts of some of these companies, you'll see, there was a big gap on that day. So these are companies and stocks that are not going to go up, you know, 500% in a year, like on the video, right, but they are slow and steady, and the train has not left the station, they've already gone up a lot, they've already more than doubled. But there's a lot more room to go. And that's why I think in 2024, uranium is going to be a very hot ticket. Now there are some ticker symbols that I want to give you. So you can take a look, put them up on your charts, see which ones you like, if you'd like them, great. If you don't, no worries, the first one is CCJ. Okay, this is probably the biggest company out there. It's a Canadian company. And it has mines all over the world. So this one, if you're looking for the biggest one, the more reliable one, I think this is the one that you can look at. Now, discla

OptionGenius is turning 15 years old in February! As part of the celebration, we are releasing the audiobook of Passive Trading for free! If you would like to get the physical copy, head to https://passivetrading.com

OptionGenius is turning 15 years old in February! As part of the celebration, we are releasing the audiobook of Passive Trading for free! If you would like to get the physical copy, head to https://passivetrading.com

OptionGenius is turning 15 years old in February! As part of the celebration, we are releasing the audiobook of Passive Trading for free! If you would like to get the physical copy, head to https://passivetrading.com

OptionGenius is turning 15 years old in February! As part of the celebration, we are releasing the audiobook of Passive Trading for free! If you would like to get the physical copy, head to https://passivetrading.com

OptionGenius is turning 15 years old in February! As part of the celebration, we are releasing the audiobook of Passive Trading for free! If you would like to get the physical copy, head to https://passivetrading.com

OptionGenius is turning 15 years old in February! As part of the celebration, we are releasing the audiobook of Passive Trading for free! If you would like to get the physical copy, head to https://passivetrading.com

OptionGenius is turning 15 years old in February! As part of the celebration, we are releasing the audiobook of Passive Trading for free! If you would like to get the physical copy, head to https://passivetrading.com

OptionGenius is turning 15 years old in February! As part of the celebration, we are releasing the audiobook of Passive Trading for free! If you would like to get the physical copy, head to https://passivetrading.com

OptionGenius is turning 15 years old in February! As part of the celebration, we are releasing the audiobook of Passive Trading for free! If you would like to get the physical copy, head to: https://passivetrading.com

OptionGenius is turning 15 years old in February! As part of the celebration, we are releasing the audiobook of Passive Trading for free! If you would like to get the physical copy, head to https://passivetrading.com

OptionGenius is turning 15 years old in February! As part of the celebration, we are releasing the audiobook of Passive Trading for free! If you would like to get the physical copy, head to https://passivetrading.com

OptionGenius is turning 15 years old in February! As part of the celebration, we are releasing the audiobook of Passive Trading for free! If you would like to get the physical copy, head to https://passivetrading.com

OptionGenius is turning 15 years old in February! As a celebration, we are releasing the audiobook of Passive Trading for all to enjoy. If you would like to get the physical copy, please visit: https://passivetrading.com

Hey there, passive traders, I got a really special treat for you today. Recently, we did a special presentation. And the feedback was amazing. And so we decided, hey, we need to share this. So this is why we're putting it out there. Okay, the two things that we talked about in this presentation, were number one, we talked about what are the things that are coming down the pike in 2024? What are the threats that we should be aware of now there are two different types of threats, there's first order threats, and then second order threats. First Order threats are the things that we all know about. We see him in the media with him in the news, all that stuff, those we cover some of them the ones that are really important, but we also go over the second order threats. Now, second order threats are things that are not covered in the media, they are the result of other things, those are the things that are really scary, and we really need to be worried about. And these are some of the things that I am most concerned about right now for myself and my family. And that's why I went through them. So you would be aware of them as well, you will see the signs of what's coming. And you could take action, but not everybody can take action. So that's why part two of this presentation was very important, because I go over that there is a actually elite group of people that are insulated enough that they do not have to worry about these threats as much as the rest of us. Okay, they are, I don't know, lucky, hardworking, whatever you want to call them. But they don't have to worry about them as much. Now some of the things they do, but they can insulate themselves, so that these second order threads do not affect them as much. And then I go into who these people are, and how they're insulated, and then how we can insulate ourselves from these second level threats. So that's the gist of this video and presentation. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope you take notes and implement what you're going to learn. Thing is that whenever we talk about trading, right, everybody says I want more money. That's number one, like I just want more money, I want to be free, I want to have more time that it up. But when you do, when you go deeper into it, it's more about the way you feel. And it's more about being happier, being more carefree, having less stress. Don't you agree. I mean, money is great. But you can't eat it. Right? You can buy stuff with it, you can make yourself feel better. But it's all about the emotions and the feelings and how we feel because you know, you can't take it with you. So what's the point of it, while we're here, we need to use it to make ourselves feel better. And so when it comes to these feelings when it comes to the way we want to be perceived, according to Tony Robbins, there are six basic human needs, that we all need to live a fulfilled life, right, and you can see the six there. But the first one, the very first one and the core, human need is certainty, without certainty, without being sure without being, you know, knowing what's happening, you will never feel safe, you will never feel protected, and you're never going to feel happy. It's not it just doesn't happen. Without that basic layer on the bottom. That certainty if you don't feel that, you know, if you're if you're always afraid of what's happening, or what's coming or you know, you're uncertain, it's very stressful for the body, stressful for the mind, and you never feel protected or happy. But when you think about the current state of the economy, what do you guys think? Do you think you feel certainty with the economy? Or do you feel a certain certainty about the economy? Most of us, at this point, are feeling uncertainty, and a lot of it. And 2024 is going to be dishing up a lot more than we had in 2023. A lot more than usual. Because Americans right now are living more in fear than ever in recent history. You see, like Robert says, right? He's uncertain, but not just about the economy. Right? And I don't want to dwell on this too much because the point of the workshop is going to be to help you create a plan to help you not be affected by all these, but we need to know what we're dealing with. So I want to ask you again, what is keeping you up at night? So a lot of you guys said that you are feeling uncertain. You are feeling that? You know, there's stuff there that's bothering you. What is it what is keeping you up at night? What fears are you dealing with right now? And I really would like to know the answer to these to see if we can address them. Right? What do you see coming down the horizon? Like stuff that's happening? You know, we're gonna go over some of them. But if there's something specific that you tend to be worried about, so Joel is saying lack of funds. That's a good one. I often hear people saying, you know, the health issues are a problem. Having enough money for retirement, somebody said that they wanted more money in retireme

This is the final part of the series that shows you a better way to read if you want to accomplish more, and make more money. All right, welcome, you made it to Part 4 - the last part of our series. Now, if you missed part one, two or three, please go watch or listen to at least part one, because that explains everything. Otherwise, you're just going to hear me talk about books, and you're not going to understand what I'm talking about. But to give you a quick recap, I changed the way I read books, because I was finding out that I was just reading and reading just to read and just accomplish, but I was not using the information, I was not learning anything. And so it wasn't worth it. I was reading a lot spending a lot of time reading, but it wasn't worth it. Because it wasn't making any difference in my life. And I realized recently, so I've been teaching my my seven-year-old how to do multiplication tables, right? And so she asked me, Dad, I want to learn this stuff. How do I do it? I say, Well, you write them down. And then you say them over and over and over again, and you memorize them. That's the, that's the way I knew how to do it. I was taught that way. And that's, you know, that's what I taught her. And so she's been working on it. And you know, she's seven, and she got hers, she got the ones, you got the twos, you got the 5s 10s 11s. So now she's working on the threes and the fours. And she's doing really great. But again, he's just reading it over and over and over again. And so that's kind of what I'm doing with these books, I picked out 12 books that make a big difference in different aspects of my life that I want to work on. And so I identified those areas that I wanted to work on first. And then I found the books that really helped me and give me stuff to do and think about, and though I chose one book per month, so that month, I will read that book, maybe I read it two times or three times, and then I will implement. And I spend the whole rest of the month implementing everything in that book, if I can, if I'm done with the book, or if I don't want to do any more than I'll go on the next month to the next book. Or I'll just keep working on that book if I'm making a lot of progress. So that's how it works. In part two, and part three, I went through four books each. So the first eight books of the year, I talked about and I think, you know, if you are a reader, if you want to get better at your life at different areas of your life, then those two parts would definitely be something that you want to go back and cover and do. And if you're not a reader, I haven't talked about this before. But all of these books are available as audiobooks, right, you can listen to these books, you don't have to just read them, you can listen to them. And there was something I read that. And I don't know if this is true or not. But it said that if you listen to the book while you are reading it, you remember it more. Now, I haven't ever tried that I'm not no big into audiobooks. I like reading. I like having the book in my hand. I don't even like the the Kindle versions or the ebooks. And so I have a bunch, but I like the physical books. So all these 12 books, I have them physically, I tried to get all of them in hardcover, so they last and I enjoy reading them over and over again. Every time I read them, I'm learning new things, and I'm implementing again, and I'm like, Oh yeah, cuz I'm in a different spot in my life every time I read them. So really helps. Let's go ahead and jump into the books here. So this is a book. The first one is if things are going wrong, like if there's an issue, if there's a problem, if you're facing some kind of setbacks, and you don't know what to do, the book is called Everything is figureoutable. That's the word everything is figure out double. And that's basically the the idea behind the book. Now the author, Marie Forleo. She's a great author. The book is well written great stories funny, she has a business that geared more towards women. So her products, her the way she talks, everything is geared towards women, I thought it would be put off by that it wasn't that big a deal. But I really liked the way she wrote the book. And I liked it. Her other products I didn't really resonate with, but I really loved the book, I really loved the idea behind it. And so I really recommend this book for people for anybody, anybody that wants to, you know, have an easier time in life. Just need some encouragement, right? Everything is figureoutable. I mean, if you have that mindset, if you have that thing that thought in your mind that no matter what problem I have, no matter what issue I have, I'll be able to figure it out. Somebody will be able to figure out and I'll be able to get help, and it'll happen and it'll be fine. Everything's gonna be fine. Right? So if you have that idea in your mind, man, failure is not anything to be afraid of. Because if it doesn't work out, guess what, we'll j

This is part 3 of the 4-part series. See which books I read every year and why I chose them. Plus learn why the way most people read is totally a waste of time. Welcome back. Alright, so this is part three of our four-part series on the books you can read to change your life. Okay, so if you haven't done Part One and Part Two, you probably want to do those first, at least part one. So you know, you get the gist, you have the background of what we're doing. Now I'm going to dive into the second set of books for I broke it down into four books, four books, four books, so part two, part three, and part four, I'm going to show you four books each, so it doesn't take forever. And now these are four books in the first three months, right? January, March, April, the first four books, I started pretty heavy, I like to it's, you know, the new year, you want to get going, you're setting your goals. And it's like, let's just do this, this time, these four months, you know, you're going into the summer season, things are busy, right? Things are hotter, you don't want to be thinking as much. And so these books, a couple of them are really about how to flick change of perspective, not so much work-related or to do work, you know, not to do stuff. But so let's just get into that. Alright, so the first book we have is called "The Slight Edge". Okay, it's the slight edge, turning simple disciplines into a massive success. Now, this is a short book, a very simple concept, one that I can explain to you in five seconds, maybe not. But it's very simple. And it's still worth reading, it's still, you know because you get the examples, you get the illustrations or whatnot. And it's a quick read the idea is the one about knowing where you're going and making small incremental steps to get there, right? So for example, you got on a plane that's going from Miami to New York, right? If it's on track, it'll get to New York, if it's off by even a couple of degrees, and it doesn't correct, then guess what it ends up way off-course, right, somewhere in like Iceland or something, it'll never get to New York. So that's the kind of simple here, it's like, you know when you want to do something, there are certain steps that we have to take, we have to take them over and over and over again. Now, it's very simple to not do those things to take those steps. But in the long run, it's very difficult when you don't do them because it's a problem for you. So if you have a goal, and you say, hey, look, I want to accomplish this, I want to go back to school and get my degree, right? There are certain things you have to do daily, you have to do your homework, right? Now, is it simple to just say no, I'm tired? I don't want to do my homework. Yeah, very simple. It's like I just worked all day, I don't want to go back. You know, like, I don't want to do this, it's very simple for you to miss a day, Miss two days, right? But if you keep missing and keep missing and keep missing, eventually, you're gonna flunk out, and the whole goal is gone. So the first couple times you do it, no big deal, no harm done, you know, you might get away with it. But if you keep building and building and building, then it just doesn't work out. So same with trading, right? If you don't follow the rules in your trades, there might be a trade that it doesn't matter to trade the works out, there might be another one that just doesn't matter. There might be another one that works out. But then eventually there'll come a time when you won't even remember what the rules are. And there'll be a time where you mess up and you don't do it and the thing goes bad and it just destroys you. So if you want to do something, the book says, right, you're taking simple disciplines, just simple, small things, you just have to do small steps, right? The journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step. And that's all the book is telling you. It's like you figure out what are those steps, and you just do them slowly, slowly, and you have the discipline, you have the desire and the book is that's all it's about. And he's telling you how to do that. So I mean, it's a very simple book that is very hard to live by. And so that's why you need the constant reminder, you have to read it again. And again. And again. When you do and you get you back on track, you will accomplish things like crazy, like it's powerful, very powerful book. Alright, so the next one, and now this one is called The Four Hour Workweek. There's probably I think there's a second edition out. So this book is outdated. And so I don't even know if it's worth it for everybody to read this. So this one might not work for you. You might want to take this one out and put in another one. I'll tell you what this one is about. Now, this book came out years ago, and I met the author, I hung out with him. We went to the Berkshire Hathaway meeting together, along with a group of other people. But, you know, the book had just come out and he had

Alright, let's get on with this. All right, so this is part two of a four part series. Okay, so part one explained the basics explained why I'm doing this series and explained that you are reading wrong. No, I'm kidding, I don't know how you read, at least for me, the way I was reading was wrong. Now, the point of reading is to learn. But the way I was reading is that I was reading to be done. And I know psychologically, there is this thing in our brains that we have to go to completion, right? So it's like, you watch a movie, but you don't want to stop in the middle because you want to finish it. And you want to feel that you completed something, even though it's a bad movie. So most of us don't get up and leave or turn it off in the middle. Same with books. For me, it's like I wanted to finish the whole book, even if it was not good or boring, or I don't really know what was talking about, I would go through and read the whole book anyway, and then go to the next one, then go the next one. But I never really learned and I never really sunk in so that it wasn't effective in my life, I never really used it because I was just reading, reading, reading. And so the books that I'm going to share with you are totally different, I read them in a different way. And you can please go to part one of the series, and it'll tell you exactly how and why and the reasoning behind it, and how it works. But in this session, I want to talk about the first four books of the year that I read. Now, these are set in a specific order, because it's the first of the year, right first four months, and I really want to get on a good start. And so these particular books, the ones I'm going to show you are the ones that I read every single year. Now some of the books depending on what I want to learn what I want to accomplish that year, I might not read every single one of them every now and again, they're interchangeable, depending on the topics that you want to excel at. That's the cool thing about this program. So these four books, I would like there for me, they're like long term, you know, and they the issues that they address are long term issues. And so sometimes these four, sometimes take me longer than one month to implement. Some of them are not and some of them do. So it's really I tried to interspeed them. So one book will be a very highly implemented book. And then the next month, it might be just a thought-provoking book that I don't have to implement, and do and work on that much. And then next month, that again, it'll be another workbook. So all of these books, there are their, you know, best sellers, you can probably still get them. I like to get them in hardcover, because I know I'm gonna be reading them and keeping them for a long time. Even if they go on print. I want the hardcover. So I can keep doing this over and over again. So with that, let me get into book number one. So this number one is called the "One Thing". Okay, that's the name of the book, the one thing and again, you can see its hard cover, this basically tells you and ask you a simple question. It's like, what's your one thing? And the idea is very simple. It's, if we focus on too many things, we don't get enough things done. So the idea is to have really close concise goals. And then you work on just one thing to accomplish those goals. And so there's one question that they asked in here, that makes things much simpler. And they call it the, they call it the defining question, or the focusing question, sorry. And the question is, what's the one thing I can do such that by doing it, everything else will become easier or unnecessary? What's the one thing I can do that by doing it, everything else becomes easier or unnecessary? And you might be thinking, well, you know, my problems are really hard. My problems are intense, right? But there's always if you break it down into small steps, those small steps are like dominoes. And the small one knocks over the bigger one, then you can knock over a bigger one, then you cannot go for a bigger one until the goal that you want is accomplished. So there's an example of losing weight, right? I want to lose weight. Okay, what do I do? Well, I gotta hit the gym. Well, what's the best time to go to the gym first thing in the morning? Okay, well, I don't do that because I don't like getting up early. Or I get lazy in the morning. So I don't go to the gym in the morning. I don't work out in the morning. So if I can just get myself up early in the morning, then I'll do that. Well, what's the best way to do that? Oh, no, set my alarm. Okay, is that the one thing that I can do? No, the one thing I can do is workout, right? That's it? No, no, no, we gotta go smaller, smaller, smaller. So if the the goal is to lose weight, then one step removed from that is I need to work out, I don't know, five days a week, okay, then one step removed from that smaller than that is I need to get to the gym, right? Five times a week. And

Hey there, today I want to be talking about something that I call how I get better every year. Now, when I think about getting better, that could be in any aspect, it could be trading, it could be life, it could be in any part of your life. And what I want to talk about can be totally customized to you. So you can choose what you want to get better in. But it does take a little bit of work. Now, whenever I talk about this with people, or I share this with anybody I mean, they get a lot of benefits out of it, the people who have tried it have really told me that they loved it, they love doing it, and is very different from anything else I've ever seen. I've never seen anybody do it quite like this before. And now I believe that we don't stand still, you're either getting better, or you're getting worse, you're getting faster, or you're getting slower. You can't just be "Oh, I'm the same as I was last year", it doesn't work that way. You're either getting smarter, or you're getting left behind. Because everything, the whole world, everything moves way too fast. There's many, too many changes, there's too many people competing, there's too much noise, there's so much out there that you have to get better, and if you don't, you get left behind. Now, in many things, that's not a bad thing. But when you're in life, and you want to get ahead, then you want to keep getting better. And it's actually fun to do as well. Right? I get better by learning by education by reading. And so I'm going to be talking about how I read and it's not the way most people read. And it's definitely not the most regular books that you've heard of. It's a completely different way. I've never heard of anybody talk about it like this. And so I think it's going to be very helpful. And like I said, totally customizable to you based on whatever you want to accomplish. So that's the cool part about it. Now, I read a lot, the voracious reader. And so whenever I read, I'm always reading to get through the book, because I want to finish it because on my stack, you know how my desk I have a stack of other books that I'm ready and excited to read. Because I just love to read, there's certain topics that I like to read a lot. And so every new book that comes out, I'll get it and I'll read it and I like the paper books, you know, printed books, I don't like the ebooks that much. But I'll read those too. I have a bunch of those too that are still stacked up. But in my house, for example, my wife keeps getting upset because I keep getting more and more and more books and we don't have plates anymore. We don't have space to put these all these books. I got bookshelves on top of bookshelf, bookshelves and they're they're still full my nightstand on my table is like full of books. She even, my poor wife, she even got me a bookshelf for the bedroom. So that I could have that as well. But those are awful, too. And they're falling off and they're on the floor. And it's just piling up. So that's just the way I am. But what I realized is that I was reading and reading reading, but I wasn't learning. That's the sad part though. I was just reading to read. And so I had no knowledge, but I didn't have any implementation. And so I learned this because you know, my wife and I, we sometimes were in bed or night you're talking, she has a business. She has her own business, and I have a business so we're talking and she was explaining a particular problem that she had. So I was like, Oh, wow, that's, you know, and stuff. But you know, I'm reading this book, and it said, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And she goes, oh, wow, that makes a lot of sense. Okay, I'm gonna try that. So then she goes, and she comes back like a week later. And she goes, Hey, you know, I tried that thing. And it worked really well. Thank you. You know, problem solved is wonderful. I'm like, Oh, that's great. You know, and then we move on. About six months later, we're in bed. And now I'm talking about a problem. And she goes to me, Oh, well, you know what you could do? You could do blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, Oh, wow, that's such a great idea. Oh, my god, that's amazing that you're so smart. And she goes, Really? You don't remember? I'm like, remember what she does? That's the exact same thing you told me to do six months ago. And I'm like, really? And she's like, Yeah, so you read in a book, you told me to do it. I did it. And it worked. And now I'm telling you to do it. And I was like, oh, and so I realized that I'm reading all this stuff. I'm reading all these books upon books upon books. And I'm not learning is coming in one year is coming out the other. Not only that, but I'm spending a lot of time reading. And normally I will read four or five books at a time. At a time, I'll have four or five books that I'm reading, because, you know, whatever fancies my mood at the time is what I'll read, I'll pick it up. And I'll be in the middle of four or five books at a time. And

For more info on what is discussed in this epsiode, head to MarketPowerMethod.com Allen: Boom, welcome to another edition of the Options Genius Podcast! Today, as promised, in the last episode, we have an interview, an interview with a fellow named Kevin. And Kevin is one of our beta testers in the Market Power Program, Kevin has done an amazing 266% ROI, since he's joined the program earlier in 2003. So that's not even a whole year worth the results. And that is after fees. So after he took out his commission's after he took out his fees, that's how much money he put in his pocket. Or basically, he left in the account. I don't know what he did with it. But yeah, that's what he kept. All right. That is amazing. I wanted to share this with you, I wanted to get this to you. Because these type of results are uncommon. I think that's an understatement. You know, when you have most people trying to make seven 8% A year from the stock market, even though you know, the market, banks, banks are paying what 4 or 5%. Right now, that's wonderful, that's great. Stock market should be paying more, but nobody out there is getting 266%. So shake cheese, but we are doing it with the market power program, I wanted to share this because I want you to be excited, I want you to be happy for Kevin, I want you to know this type of stuff is available, it's doable, if you have success with trading. So that's like the goal. I mean, the goal shouldn't be 266%. But the goal should be that you have enough money coming in to pay for all your expenses that you could do that from your trading. So you have basically your financial independence, right? And then after that you keep adding more and more money to the accounts or to your savings account or whatever, so that the financial worries that you have in your life melt away and you don't have any financial work. Because the thing is like, hey, oh, I got a speeding ticket. Okay? Well, if you can write a check, to make your problem go away, you don't have a problem. And that's what I really want. That's the type of life I want to have for you. Okay, so the type of problem where he's like, Okay, if I can just write a check and make this problem go away, I don't have a problem, I have a money issue. And the money issue, we want to make it go away through trading, market power is going to be one of those ways this program is coming. It's exciting. It's amazing. I can't speak enough about it. I mean, it's just unbelievable. I haven't I lost sleep. When we first came up with this seriously, I lost sleep for days and days and days. And I just can't believe it. And even now, it's still unbelievable. 54 trades in a row that I have made with this program. I think Kevin, the one that you're going to see in the interview, I think he had one trade that went bad, and he had to adjust it. And so it still worked out. And it's phenomenal. It's amazing. And he's not the only one, I'm not the only one, we have 35 other people that are trading this, in our beta testing program. They're all doing phenomenal. We have case studies, we have screenshots, we have interviews, we have, you know, the emails from them, thanking us and saying how amazing it is. So it's just a matter of time before we can open it up for others join. And unfortunately, you know, we can't let everybody in the whole world join. So whoever gets in to get in, that's wonderful. You only help certain limited amount of people, because we still need to protect it and keep it somewhat secret in the sense so that it doesn't get diluted and it doesn't stop working. So that's the situation here. I'm gonna go ahead and stop talking and let you watch or listen to the interview. And then when market power, makes his official debut and launches to the general list, I will let you know on the podcast. Or if you want to get to know earlier, then you can go to OptionGenius.com and email us or contact us and say hey, I want to be on the notification list. I want to know more about Market Power. I want to know when it comes out. I want to be one of the first How do I get to the top of the line, right? So let's do that. And let's go ahead and let's get into this interview. Matthew: Alright. So today we're joined by Kevin Donegen, and he's a member of our market power program. And I want to thank you today for sharing your experience. And you know how the course has been going for you and the program, and just really appreciate having you. Kevin: You're welcome. Glad to be here. Thanks, sir. Matthew: You're welcome. So, I always ask people, you know, the first question is, how did you find Option Genius? So a lot of people find it by podcast or other means. So how did you find out Option Genius? Kevin: It's been a few years now, because I joined other, you know, the training portion of Option Genius a couple years ago, I think it was late 21. So almost two years now, I guess, you know, it's a good question, how I found Option Genius. I guess. I was exploring

For more info on what is discussed in this episodes, go to MarketPowerMethod.com I have some exciting news. And as you might have seen from the title of this episode, the news is that market power is coming. It's almost here. In fact, we have it here, but we haven't rolled it out to everybody. So just today, I finished or I got out of my 54th market power trade for the year. Now, market power is a new trading program that we have come out with. And so since the beginning of the year, I have done 54 trades using this market power method. And out of those 54 trades, I've had zero losers. That's right. Every single trade has been a winner-- 54 winners in a row. It's something like 300%, or close to it in ROI. I mean, it's mind-boggling. The trade has been amazingly consistent, amazingly profitable. And it is one of the most exciting things I've ever worked on. I just, can't believe it. So if you don't know what market power is, back in February of 2023, back of this year, we put on a like a live seminar-type thing. And we introduced market power. So basically, market power is a trading plan, as well an an indicator as well as a way to adjust the plan. So you have an indicator that tells you when to trade. And then you have the plan that tells you what and how to trade. And then if the trade goes bad, which sometimes they do, but not this year. So far, we have an adjustment module, which tells you how to actually fix the trade. So that potentially you might not ever have a losing trade ever again. Now, I know big work, right big promise. But so far, it's been kicking butt. So back in February, we had this event, we introduced it to about 600 people who registered for that. We then explained the whole thing and showed the back-tested results. And it was actually something very new. We could not do this before this year. So last year, in June of 2022, the CBOE introduced options on SPX that would expire on Tuesday and Thursday. So that meant that you now have options that expire Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, all five days of the week. That is how we were able to create a way to adjust this trade. So we have this indicator, We've had it for a while we've been using it for our weekly trading system, which is also doing amazing. But there was an issue with the trading system that we couldn't share all the trades for a couple of reasons. Now, I don't want to get into everything on this episode, because that would defeat the purpose of the episode where I just want to share that this thing is coming and I want you to be aware of it. If you are looking for a way to be consistently profitable, If you like to sell options, or if you haven't sold options before and you're looking for a trade that is simple to understand and do. This might just be what you're looking for. Now, again, I already gave you the performance. We've had that event in February, we opened it up to have about 35 people in the program. We taught them exactly how it works. We showed them the indicator we showed them how to read it, how to use the trading plan, and they have been having amazing results as well. Just today I saw an interview with one of them. He's up 266%. Another one of our beta testers let me know today that he is on his way to India for his second trip of the year. The first time he went for two months. Now he's going again this year and both trips have been paid for by his market power money, which is basically the money he makes from his market power trades. So that's just 2 of the 35. And then we have testimony like case studies and we have videos and interviews of all the others. It's really phenomenal. Really exciting. So what we've been doing since then, is we've been fine tuning the program, we're getting those feedback from those guys about and girls, how to make it better, how to make it simpler how to make it more outstanding. And using their feedback, we've actually been able to improve our indicator. And the indicator is, you know, pillar number one, which is it tells you when to trade, if you don't have the indicator give you a signal you don't put the trade on. That's what gives us our edge. So we only trade when there is a signal from the indicator. And the more powerful and better the indicator, the more fine tuned it is the better human signals you get. Right? So we've been working on that. And we have improved the indicator significantly since we first introduced it. We also have the trading plan. And now thanks to the CBOE what they did last year with the new options, we also have an adjustment plan. So we know how to fix this trade. Now, we haven't had to do any adjustments this year. But we did go back and test previous years to see if we if it would work. And we found an adjustment method that basically got every single one of our losing trades back to break even. And so there aren't that many losing trades in a year. But if there are there, we have a way to make them and get back to break eve

Allen: Welcome passive traders to another edition of the Option Genius Podcast. Today I have a special guest with me, Mr. Carl Nord, We're going to be talking about something pretty interesting that goes back to a few episodes ago, something I talked about, which was back on episode 140 of the podcast, I introduced something called the 66 Trade challenge, which is something that people can do if they are having trouble with discipline, it's one of the ways that we talked about of how to overcome the deer in the headlights syndrome, or the not knowing what to do syndrome or just not doing what you're supposed to do while you're trading. Allen: And we've all been there. And it's a it's a mental thing. You know, I talk about it a lot that trading is 90%, mental 10% skills. Most of us know what to do, we just don't do it for whatever reason. And we all have our individual hang-ups. So Carl here, he's in a couple of our programs. He listened to that episode, he took it to heart. And he reached out and said, You know, I'm doing the challenge. And I've been following him. And he's been giving me updates all along the way. And I said, You know what, this is awesome. We need to get Carl on the show. We need him to share his expertise, his wisdom about going through the system and going through the challenge, and basically, his results. So, Carl, welcome so much. Carl: Thanks, Allen. So glad to be here with you. Allen: Yeah, it's so it's a wonderful for you to share your time and experience experience with us. I'm really happy to have you here. And it's part of what we like to have in the Option Genius community where we help each other. So appreciate that. So Carl, let's let's get started. What was it about the challenge that made you decide to do it? Carl: Well, actually, it was a combination of two of the podcasts. I listened to the 66. Great Challenge first. And then I listened to the one right before it number 139. When you have tried everything, and you're still not profitably trading that one, which is a long, long podcast, and over and over in there, you were saying, You got to have a plan, you got to follow the rules step by step and, and this other thing, and I was thinking, you know, if I'm gonna get this down, the 66 trade challenge will make me do the things you were telling that the other fellow in the podcast just previous to it, it was a combination of the two. That made me do it. But mostly it was because also, like you said, I had no discipline. I panicked all the time. Yeah. Allen: Hey, cool. So I mean, yeah, I remember. I remember that one that was 139. I think that one was like a it was like a coaching call. Basically, someone had written in and said, You know, I've been trying this for years and years, and I haven't had any success and what helped me, what am I doing wrong? And so I got on them. And I asked him, I was like, Hey, would you be willing to have it recorded and shared? And he was like, yes. So we got on the call. And yeah, it was about an hour and a half long. Carl: He had either an English or Australian accent? Allen: Yes, yeah. And he's actually in our, the free Facebook group that we have. He's in there. And he responded, it's been about a year I think, since that episode, or I don't know how long it's been. It's been a while. And he responded on Facebook. Just recently, I think it was last week that he's been he's made a lot of strides. He's listened to that interview several times. And it really helped him. And he's made a lot of changes, and he's doing much better. So I'm glad. I'm glad that was helpful. So basically, you said that you were having a problem with discipline. How bad was that problem? Carl: Well, it was bad enough that I wasn't making money. You know, it just yeah, if the market went against me, I was just panicking all the time and either selling too soon, or, you know, exiting the trades too soon or too late or something, you know, just kind of got overwhelming for a little bit. And I was looking for an answer when that can't win when I listened to those two podcasts and put it together for me. Allen: Sweet and so what were the things or some of the things that you had tried before the challenge to overcome that problem? Carl: Well, I guess I just Well, I had taken the class so I was trying to apply what I learned there. But until I did the challenge, I couldn't get myself to stick with it the way I needed to. And even after the challenge I started with the challenge. There were some things that happen along the way for one thing I didn't want to do adjustments. And in that cost me I saw big time. The the last, next to the last trade that I did, I did an adjustment, I tried doing an adjustment on it. And after all was said and done, I came out with six bucks ahead. So you know, don't lose money. That's the big thing, don't lose money. And, and so now, I keep an eye out for for doing adjustments. But by that by the time I got done with the, towards the end of th

So what is it that is stopping you? What's stopping? That's what we're going to talk about today. Now look, I have a thought experiment for you today. Now thought experiments are what Einstein you'd see use, you know, Einstein used to think about all these different things about how this would work. And that would work, especially when you're dealing with abstract concepts that you can't write down, it's a good way to get the creative juices flowing, and to come up with answers, helping your subconscious being able to help you out as well. But it's really meant to get you to see things from a different perspective. Or as Obi Wan would say it a certain point of view. Right. So since you're consuming this content, right? I know that you're interested in trading. If not, I don't know why you're here. But maybe you're trading a little bit. Maybe you're trading a lot. Maybe you haven't started trading? I don't know. But chances are, that most of you are holding back. You're not all in either you're not all bought in that this actually works. Or you're scared? Or you're trading with a little bit, not too much. Because you don't want to lose it. Whatever the reason, I'm sure you do have your reasons, right? Not enough time. Not enough money. Oh, the market is too volatile. Oh, the markets not volatile enough. On and on and on. So let me ask you this question. Okay. In 10 years, 10 years from now, if you take no action, nothing changes, you just go about your day go about your life, the way you've been going. It's the same going on the same path. You don't take any action, you don't change anything in your life. What is your life look like? Think about it. I mean, pauses and think about it. Really? What does your life look like? Now? Obviously, you're 10 years older, right? So as your family, so is your house, so it's your dog. And things are worse than they are now. If you don't change anything, because that is life, things get better. Or they get worse. Nothing stays the same. Right? Your house is 10 years older, and to be falling apart. I need a new AC my I need a new roof. I need something else. If you're older, yeah, things are falling apart, right? You get an older squeak year larger, maybe it's my case. So if you took no action, things are worse. Are you happy with that situation? Or would you be happy with that situation? Take the take where your life is now. Fast forward 10 years, and it's a little bit worse. I don't know how much worse and you know, hopefully, you did the exercise. And you thought about it, like what things would be like 10 years from now, if you don't change anything? Are you happy with that situation? Probably not. So the question is, then, what are you going to do about it? Do you have any idea? Do you have any plan? Because really, you know, nobody is coming to get you. Nobody's going to save you. All right, you got to have to save yourself. So I hope you do. I hope you have come up with something. And I hope things are better for you. And I hope you know I'm trying to get you out of the malaise. Okay, now, let's do another thought experiment jelly. Yeah, I know we had one but you get one for free. Okay, so now look, instead of thinking about all the wonderful things that could happen if you started making money by passive trading, right, because you've heard me you've listened to the show you you've heard me all the great things that happened. You get the freedom you get the money, you can spend more you can have more time off. You don't have to work as much or work at all. All these wonderful things that can happen that have you ever been to people. Let's do it on the side. What is the worst thing that could happen? If you didn't start passive trading? What's the worst thing that could happen? If you never started, or you never grow, or you never go all in, ruminate on that a little bit, you know, think about it. Some people, they need a carrot, you know, they need a reward. It's like, oh, man, you know, if you get this passive training stuff down, man, you can make a few $1,000 extra a month, that might be enough to buy that new car you want or go on a vacation you on or buy the new house or boat or whatever. Now for some people, that's enough. Yeah, motivated, they go for it. Other people, they need the cat, right? And in this case, where the rat, the rat, you got the cheese, or the carrot, whatever, you know that you got the, you got the reward on one side. But then you got the cat. On the other side, the cat is behind you, and the cat is wanting to eat you and they wants to trick you wants to catch you and eat you. That is the worst case scenario. Right? And some of us, actually, according to statistics, I think most of us will do more to evade the cat or get away from the cat than we will to get the reward. So maybe that's what you need. Maybe you need to imagine the cat. What's the worst thing that could happen? What is the worst case scenario? So you don't trade? You don't de

The maximum money exercise. All right, this is gonna be fun, so chances are that you're not trading as well as you want. Chances are you're not making as much money as you want. And you might, or you might not know, the reason why. I don't know, maybe you need a better strategy. Maybe you're not disciplined enough, maybe. And then you can enter whatever excuse in the blank, right? Now, in reality, I bet that you have all the answers you need. I bet that you already know the basics of trading, you know how to do it. But something is holding you back. I mean, realistically, how hard is it to sell a covered call, right? I mean, that's the most basic trade, you can make money on it, you can be consistently profitable with that, how hard is it, right? And if you don't know what a covered call is, you buy 100 shares of stock that you like, okay, and you sell an out of the money call on out of the money call option to bring in some credit. That's it, that's all you got to do, then you wait till expiration, at expiration, If you get called away, meaning the stock is taken from you. That's great. That's wonderful. You buy more stock, you do it again. If on the other hand, the option expires, and you still have the stock, that's great. Go sell another one. Right? A fifth grader could do this. So what's stopping you? Right? Why do you trade well, for a few trades, and then give it all back? Why do you fail to follow your own trading rules? And I hear this over and over and over again, from students. Right? When you're in a trade that's going bad. You kind of know what you need to do. You kind of have an idea like, oh, man, I need to do something about this trade. I should do some this getting bad. But still you do nothing. And then you justify it, right? You rationalize, oh, yeah, you know, I needed to pay my dues. I needed to learn from that mistake. Really, you needed to learn you need you have to lose money to learn? Is there an easier way? You know, really? The answer is that it is subconscious. The reason we do well, and then we start messing up our subconscious. You've heard about it, right? It's self sabotage. we hurt ourselves. And it happens with money. And just about anything. Happens with businesses happens with relationships, it happens with trading, it happens with health, happens with all sorts of things. And we're going to work on that right now. So stay tuned. First of all, I have to give full credit to this to Mr. Allen Sultani. All right. He is one of my mentors. And actually, he teaches marketing and sales. But he spends most of his time teaching about human psychology. So this is our works, okay, and I'm going to quote him here, so that I get this right. All right, so "you'll only be able to make money close to what your subconscious mind allows you to make". And as you get closer and closer to that boundary, you'll start to notice, is a lot of resistance, shiny object syndrome, and all sorts of other thoughts that start to work against you. What was once easy now becomes difficult. What used to take a few minutes now takes days, and once and what once you thought you could do now becomes impossible. In the process, the mind will start to conjure up all sorts of stories, justifications and bullshit to keep you from hitting the boundary, which I call the maximum money boundary. And the first key to overcoming this boundary is knowing what your boundary is in the first place. And here's how you do it. So you close your eyes and you take a deep breath, say this statement in your mind. I make $5,000 a month, then you keep increasing this to make to "I make $10,000 a month", and you keep going in increments of either 5,000 or 10,000 or whatever is reasonable. Okay? If you're doing well, really well. Then you go up in increments of 25,000 to 50,000 and in some cases $100,000. Okay. As you're doing this process, pay attention to where your subconscious mind goes. Hell yeah. And it feels good. But when you say a number for example, I make $10,000 a month. Notice it starts to feel bad, and a voice will appear out of nowhere that goes something like "Yeah, right, or bullshit". And in a sense, makes you feel as if you're telling yourself a lie. This little voice, this lie itself is your outer boundary of what you can make. And that's generally where you're stuck. Now, from my experience, when I'm about 50%, near the boundary, remember, Alan is saying this, when I'm about 50%, near the boundary, things will start to go to shit, get harder, and I have to work through them. I used to use a whole lot of force and effort to make things easier to work through this boundary. But that wasn't very effective, as you're literally fighting against yourself. And as your subconscious knows a whole lot more than you, then that's one battle, you're never going to win. So instead, what you want to do is start doing identity change work. This requires a lot of how to, but in short, just saying to yourself, that I make whatever

Why do we trade? Sounds like a simple question, right? Maybe even a stupid question. Duh Allen, we trade because of the money. We want the money. Now I'm gonna say bull. No, it's not because of the money, money's great and all that, but it's not money. It's something deeper. So after that, what comes after money? Well, okay, if it's not the money, then yeah, maybe it's, well, it's freedom, right, Allen? Because you keep talking about that, you know, the three freedoms-- time, freedom, financial freedom, choice, freedom. It's the freedom. That's why we trade we trade for the freedom. I'm going to say no to that, too. Those are side effects, benefits of trading, but they're not the real reason. So in this episode, I'm going to tell you exactly why we trade. So look, a student reached out to me recently about investing in the hedge fund, which is great, because, you know, it shows a lot of confidence that my students are wanting to trade with me and invest with me. So we started talking, and I asked him, you know, Hey, how's it going with your trade and what's going on? He was over the moon happy. I mean, super, super happy. This guy, he's making 3-4,000 per week. Right? per week. That's pretty good. But then he said something that, you know, he said things were a little bit different. And I'm like, "What do you mean? What do you mean, they're different?" He says life's different, it is better. I'm like, Okay, give me an example. He goes, Well, you know, I used to argue with my wife, about her spending, every time I would look at the checkbook, you know, I get mad because she's spending on this or that. But I don't do that anymore. We don't argue about spending anymore, because there's more money at the end of the month, in the account, even with her spending. That's awesome. Also, he said he enjoys buying his kids things, you know, things he wasn't able to do before. Now, this is a fellow who's going to retire in six months, he's got six months of work left, he's going to be retiring. And he told me, he's not going to be worried about surviving on just, you know, 4%, that you're supposed to be taken out of your, your IRA or retirement funds, right? The 4% rule, he's like, you know, 4% is, not that much. And if that was the case, I would still be very concerned and worried about running out of money. But now he's not. He's actually looking forward to retiring compared to when it was a stressor. Right. I was talking to a another student, also last week. And he is also in the beta group of the market power program that we have. And then after about two months in that program, he joined our oil program, the blank check trading program. And I was curious, so I reached out to him. And asked, "Hey, man, you've been with us for a long time, like you've been on our email list, you've been in the you're in the passive program, you've been in that one for a long time, you've heard about blank check, many, many times, probably a dozen times you've gotten emails about it, or I've talked about it, what made you jump into it right now, because you just joined this program, market power. And then two months later, you join into this other program. And I knew that money, you know, it was the price of the program was a bit of a concern for him in the beginning?" And this is what he said, This is a direct quote. So I'm going to read it here. He said, "Just started to figure everything out, it started to fall into place. After the market power group, I just felt more confident in my trading. And once I started seeing monthly returns, getting close to being able to stop working levels, I felt like I should go the last step and add the oil to the toolbox, and see if I can make enough to surpass my original goals. So I went for it. And I'm glad I did. It's really easy to understand, and I can't wait to start doing it live trading with it". Thank you for being so consistent with your teachings and methods. That feeling that you and your crew are there for us made it a much easier decision as well. So interesting. Right? Now, in both stories, there was no mention of a Lamborghini or a mansion or a private plane, you know, any extravagant spending. Now, there might be a couple of listeners out there that want that stuff. There's nothing wrong with having cool stuff. But I think most of us, yeah, we don't want that stuff. You know, we want other stuff stuff that's real. We want to have less stress, happier family, simple players. I think that's what life is really about, you know, and it's that's the real reason why we try not to get super rich, but to enjoy the simple things the little things. It's not because of you know, we're greedy or we want to take over the world but it's the small things that people don't even notice that make the world or life really better like going to a restaurant and ordering whatever you want on the menu without having to look at the price without worrying about the price. Oh, well how much is at stake? G

Time decay, The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly. So I love Theta, right? I love that Theta is my best friend. It's also known as time decay. And since I sell options, I know that every day that goes by, the options that I've sold are closer to expiring, my trades are closer to ending. And I am closer to keeping all the money that I've already collected for selling the options. So it's a good thing, when I'm selling options when I'm trading options, theta is a great thing. Time decay is wonderful, I love it fish the weekends, right? It's a market, it's not moving, but I'm still getting my theta decay. And it's funny, because in the fund, you know, I'm starting to pay attention to the theta number. So, theta is basically how much money are you going to make every day from time decay, and it's a number. So you can see based on how many positions you have, there's a numbers like, Okay, could be 50 bucks, you know, it could be 1000 bucks could be 500,000 bucks, you know, whatever it is, it's a number that you're like, oh, man, I'm gonna get that money tomorrow. Oh, yeah, this is nice. Obviously, it's not guaranteed. But if one day passes, and no price change, or no volatility changes, then that's the amount of data that you get. But it's good to have a gauge, right? But today, I want to be talking about a different time decay. And this one is not the happy type of time decay, all right, it's not theta, but it's the time decay that we all go through in life. So we all know it. We all know that death is coming for all of us. Yes, we're all going to die. But for whatever reason, we forget about it. We put it in the back of my mind, we put out a video No, I'm not thinking about it. I'm not gonna worry about that, you know, I'm gonna live to a million, I'm not dying, you know, I don't want to do that. And so we stress out about little things, we get upset about petty little things. cut me off. You know, in the big deal, it's not right, in the in the big scheme of things. And you forget that in like, 100 years, just about everything we do is gonna be meaningless anyway. Realistically, 100 years, we're gonna be gone, okay, nobody's gonna worry about it. Nobody's gonna be thinking about us. Nobody's gonna worry about that one guy that is off, it's meaningless. So I read this tweet on Twitter. So the other day, and this guy, he mentioned the Queen of England, right? So he said that there's this woman, right, the Queen of England. She was at one point, the most powerful person in the world, most powerful. She had control and dominion over millions and millions of people. She was one of the richest people in the world. And she had her face on multiple currencies in different countries. I mean, you gotta be a big deal to have your face on a currency. Right? And she had it. Like, for some reason, I don't know why Canada had her face on their country, on their currency. Even though they were an independent country. As like, if I was an independent country, the first thing I'm going to do is get those oppressors off my currency. I'm gonna have my old people on my currency, but whatever. You Canadians, you guys figure that part out. Have you? I haven't, right? It's like I knew who she was. And Usually the big deal are in England and during her life after she died, to me, it's like big deal. Didn't bother me at all. Right? So, you know, I mean, if we think we're a big deal, are we as big a deal as the Queen? You know, that people are going to idolize us and come to our funeral like 1000s and 1000s of people are going to come to your funeral. Yeah, I don't think so. Probably not unless you're really famous. Oh, we do have some really famous people listening to the podcast, though. Maybe we do have some of you. Right? I don't know but I happen to start an exercise recently. That got me thinking about death a lot. Actually. That's where this whole episode is coming from. Okay. So I heard the speaker and he said that he does this because he had a near death experience, and ever since then he's, you know, trying to find ways to keep constant reminders that hey, look, I need to, I need to really live in the present, right, I need to make every day count. There's only so many times you can read the book Tuesdays with Morrie. I mean, yeah, you read it, you get remember, oh, yeah, life is coming. We got to live life, but then you forget about it, because life happens and you forget about it. So this guy came up with an exercise that he said to do, and I've started doing it. So this and here's how I would work. So he goes, we need to find out how many days left, we have to live average, right? So for men, the average age in the United States that we live to is about 80 years old. For women, it's around 82. So you take 80 minus your current age, whatever that is, and you multiply by 365, to find out how many days you have left. Now, if you're listening this and if you're over 80, congratulations, you got, you know, bonus time. Congratulations,

The real reason your wife doesn't want you trading, that's what we're going to talk about today. So I have actually figured it out. And I will share with you the reasons, as well as what you can do about it so that your wife not only does not fight with you about your trading but actually encourages you to do so. Now, before I start this episode, this might be one that you want to listen to alongside your spouse because it just might help, right might start some dialogue between the two of you, and if this is something that you are having issues with. And, you know, although I said wives in the intro, and in the title, this is for all spouses, it works both ways. You know, normally, in what we've come across, as we've seen men trading and wives, having an issue with the trading, or you could be the other way you could be a wife trading, and the husband has an issue, or one spouse has an issue with the other spouse trading. So that's what we're going to talk about today. Hopefully, I don't want to offend anybody. But that's what we're gonna talk about today. And like I said, if you can get your spouse to watch or listen to this with you, it might actually help you, especially if you had a problem with this now. I keep hearing this over and over again, from traders, like, Allen, how do I convince my wife to let me trade or at least to stop nagging me about my trading? Right? And I'm with you guys, right? I mean, with most things, I have no clue what my wife means. Unless she very clearly lays it out for me, because even though she expects me to I still, after even all these years, I still cannot read her mind. So I was thinking about this question, and we were on a drive, we were going on vacation to Colorado. So we had a lot of time in the car. So I turned to my wife and I asked her this. I'm like, Hey, this is a problem a lot of guys have, how do we fix it? What do I tell them what to do? And as soon as I told her this, she looked at me, like dumbfounded. She looked at me. And this is what she said, she goes, Don't you remember what it was like when you first started trading? I had to walk around eggshells around you. I would come home one day after work. And you would be all depressed and moping around and sad. And I'd ask you will happen? Well, why he's so down what happened? And you would say, "Well, the market was down today", and you lost money. Whoo hoo hoo. So the next day, because I didn't want to recap of that, right? The next day, I would check the market before I got home. And I would expect you to be happy because the market was up that day. But ah, no, I get home. And what do I find? I find you my faithful husband moping around sad again. And it was totally confusing. That's what happened? The market is up today I checked, and the market is up. Why are you still sad? And you would tell me "Well, baby, I adjusted my trade. I was going to be smart about it. And I just did like a real trader. And now I want the market to go down. But because it went up again, I lost even more money". She said she couldn't even tell me anything. Like she couldn't help me. She couldn't get mad at me. Because I was already so sad about it all the time. How do you jump on somebody who's messing up and feeling bad, and you just like you gave losing more money? She said that it consumed me that I was horrible to be around and that she never knew what she would get when she got home from work. Especially after a long day of work. She said that she needed somebody to talk to to commensurate with, right? She had a long day she wanted to talk to me. She wanted to talk to her partner. But she couldn't. Because I was upset. I was stressed out. And she says that I'd be watching those stupid stock shows with the crazy bald guy that kept screaming all the time. Yes, that is true. I used to watch that show every night when I was losing money. And I think I stopped and I started making money. I don't know if that's related or not. But that's a different story. And then after all that, then she let me in on a little secret. She goes, look, it's really simple. One of the main things that a woman wants is security. She wants to know that her man will take care of things and that he has them under control so that we won't be homeless or even have the power turned off. Right. That's what a woman wants. That's basic. Every woman wants that. And when you're losing money left and right, she says I don't feel very secure. Does that make sense? I was like, Yeah, that makes a lot. And as you get going on she's like Secondly, a woman does not want her man to be taken advantage of she goes, how many silly courses and videos did you watch thinking you're going to find the secret as if they're going to sell you a secret, right? As if there are any secrets, you kept thinking that the next course. So the next guru had all the answers. So you would get your hopes up, you'd get all excited. And then your hopes would be dashed when it didn't work out

Allen: All right, everybody welcome passive traders to another edition of The Option Genius Podcast. Today I have with me Mr. Brad Janitz of Midland Trust. How you doin, Brad? Brad: I am doing great. Happy to be here. Allen: Thank you for spending some time with us. The reason I brought Brad on is because when we were starting the fund, we had investors were people that I was talking to, and they're saying, Hey, that sounds great. I want to do it. Can I do it with my IRA? And I do it with, you know, some other money I have in a retirement account? And to be honest, I didn't know the answer to. So I went back to my lawyers and other people that I've met in the hedge fund community, and I'm like, Hey, Ken, how do we do this? How do we set this up? And they're like, oh, you know what? Just talking to Brad. Okay, who's Brad, that talked to somebody? Oh, yeah. Just talk to Brad. And I'm gonna give you Brad's number. So I finally got Brad's number, I gave him a call. And he explained everything to me. So I said, Well, this is pretty cool. I think more people need to know about this. So I wanted to have Brad on the show, and have him explain how it works, basically, because what I realized is that you can use your IRA, for a lot more than just having it at your broker and buying and selling stocks and options. So that's what we want to talk about today with Brad, is that true, Brad? Brad: That is true. That is true, you know, so quick little summary of who I am, who Brad is, you know, the infamous Brad here. So, you know, I've been with Midland now for 13 years, this is my first job out of college. And really what we are, is an alternative investment custodian also called a self directed IRA company. And really, what that means is, we allow you to put your retirement money to work and things outside of the stock market. Okay. And I will say when I went through going through college and was trying to learn about financial products, this was not something that I knew about. And then all of a sudden, I joined Midland and learn this whole new world of alternative investing and specifically alternative within IRA accounts. And so, really where this whole ideology comes from, is that there is something in the world of our IRAs called an IRA custodian. And IRA custodian is an IRS-approved company, financial services company that's allowed to hold retirement assets, basically, open an account for an individual, deposit money, and to deploy money at the discretion of the individual, do some tax reporting requirements and effectively kind of provide the landscape of investments that the individual wants to get into. Nobody really knows that this whole IRA custodian thing even exists out there. Because we've all just went to brokerages throughout time and you know, Fidelity's, and Schwab's and all those institutions out there that we're all used to, and they are great institutions that allow you to set up retirement accounts, start investing, but they are known to allow you to invest in the public markets, mutual funds, Apple stock, ETF, that kind of thing. And, you know, and so, we all just kind of know the IRA custodian as also the brokerage because the big brokerages out there basically are allowed to play both sides of the equation, okay, leaving the IRA company and also the investment arm, which is the brokerage, okay. But then when you get into other types of investments out there, what I'll call alternative, but mainly private investments, so think real estate think, private investment funds, like a hedge fund, think startup companies like a bar restaurant or a new tech company, think precious metals, gold and silver, think cryptocurrency, all of those different avenues out there of investing, those aren't both the investment option and the IRA company. And so what happens is you have the investment side, and then if you want to invest IRA money into it, then you have to find somebody like Midland that operates as the IRA company side to allow you the opportunity to go into other investments. Okay? And where most people probably don't realize is, you know, it takes a little bit of wherewithal, you got to know about these opportunities in order to really take advantage of them. And so and so you have to find these opportunities, and it really kind of takes a somebody that's a little bit more wanting to and willing to take control of their own retirement account to go out and find these new opportunities. No one were to you know, take advantage of them into your into your IRA account. Right? Right. Allen: Okay. So because like in the past I've had, like we teach at option genius, we teach people how to trade stock options. And in the past, we've had several people approach us and say, I want to do this in my hedge fund, what can I do? And they're like, Well, depends on your broker. Some brokers will allow you to do something some brokers will allow you to do other things. It really depends. There's no one size fits all.

Why don't most people who try trading succeed at it? You probably heard the numbers 90, 95, somewhere around there percent of people fail at trading, then they give up and they leave and they lose their money, right? So we have at least for me, what am I methods are one of my missions in life is to help people get over that problem. And we have to make it as simple as possible. But I have noticed that there are four pillars that everybody needs. Four things that you need to be successful. All right, so let's go ahead and get into it. The thing is that it doesn't have to be just about trading, you need these four pillars and just about anything in life. And so if you have ever succeeded at something, right? You have probably already attained these four pillars, or you've used them somehow, some way, and you already know what they are. But when it comes to trading, for some reason, we think it's totally different. Things is, if it gets unique. I don't especially, I don't know what it is, but we kind of forget what the pillars are. So let's go through them and talk about how they directly relate to trading. Now, there are four pillars, right, these are the four things that you need. Two of them are completely mandatory, meaning without these you will not succeed, there's no way ever, the other two are not mandatory, but they help a lot. And they speed up the process. And they make it a lot faster, they make it a lot easier, they make it a lot more fun, and they make it a lot more profitable. Okay, so what normally takes people years, without, if you only had the first two, it could take you years and years to be successful at trading, when you have all four, it could be in a lot less time. Now look, you cannot succeed without the pillars. But even with the pillars, it does not guarantee you will succeed because it's still trading. And there are still other things that are more related to you, versus the things that everybody can have, if that makes sense. Okay, there are some limitations that every single person has, there might be something that's stopping you personally from achieving success. But these are the four things that I can say that everybody needs to have in order to succeed. Now look, when you start trading, you start on the ground, right, you're on the ground floor, you don't know anything, you don't know what you don't know, that's one thing. And you want to get on top, you want to get on top of the markets, you want to get on top of your finances, you want to get just achieve, right? And so you need support. You need the four pillars 1234 pillars, again, with two of them, you can get by, right? You might have a gap in the middle, you have one on one side or on the other side, and the gap in the middle will be sagging, kind of, but it can still survive with only one you're gonna fall off. And there's no way you're gonna stand up with three you might get there with four you definitely most likely will. So what are they? Number one, this strategy? This is pillar number one, this is the strategy. This is where most traders start. This is what they want to know first, like what do I do what to do? This is knowing what to do. And so if you are a passive trader, that means you know, covered call one strategy naked put credit spread, strangles, straddles, iron condors, diagonals, ratios, back spread, there are so many of them, right? There are so many strategies out there. Most traders, they grab the first strategy they see, and they try to make it work. But that is the wrong way to do it. The problem is not all strategies work for all people. Now you can say you know what, I'm going to learn every single strategy. And I'm going to master all of them. And I'm gonna get really good at all of them. Could be, but they're not just these few strategies. There are lots of other strategies out there as day trading. There's real estate, there's crypto, there's swing trade, there are all kinds of different strategies, and there's no way you are going to be an expert at all of them. And no way should you want to be an expert on all of them. Because that's not how success happens. Success happens when you focus. All right? So for example, buy and hold is a strategy. And it works. If you have 40 to 50 years. It's true, right? The stock market and the indexes, especially the indexes, they are created in a way that over time they are going to go up. That's just the way they work. That's the way they're created. Because they keep taking out the bad stocks that are holding the index down and they replace them with stocks that are jumping, right? So over time, it's going to continue to increase but it's going to take you 40-50 years to actually make any decent amount of money on it and be able to retire probably. If not, if that doesn't work for you right, 40 to 50 years, then this is not a strategy that will work for you. If you want to wait, that's fine, do it, it's great. You know, success is almost guaranteed. If